It wasn’t too much later that Archibald was shakily putting on his formal clothes. As he and his father got into the carriage, he debated mentioning Peter. When he built up a courage, he said, “Father, I have something I have to share.”
“About the demons someone is making?”
“Yes,” Archibald said, “A couple days ago—”
“Archibald, I said I would look into it after the king’s heir is decided,” his father replied.
“No, but Father, this is important—”
“Wait until after the king is decided.”
The carriage came to a holt, and the pair walked from there into the castle’s meeting room.
After the nobles had gathered, Archibald’s father stood up the middle of the centre ring and said, “We have gathered the votes, and we have five finalists; Lord Horace Brumble of Terrania, the man with the current largest military force, patroned by General Beckett; Halbert Ordegon, the previous highest adviser to the king; Peter Lodging of Micupia, who leads the economic capital of our country; Ylvia Greystone, matriarch of house Greystone; and I, Sorceror Dolus Tolvaj, the man leading the army that defeated the demon army. We’ll start with a short speech from each.”
They made their speeches in the order they were named. The last before Archibald’s father was Greystone, who finished saying, “I know you may see me as unfit to rule. I, Lady Greystone, am a woman. But consider it this way: you could still become king yourselves. I’m unmarried, but I’m not unwilling.”
She slipped away as Archibald’s father stood strongly up. “Now, I would like to present my case. Not only does my military rival Brumble’s, but I have found a way to militarise demons.”
“Father? What do you mean?”
“I can use demons to fight for us,” Archibald’s father continued.
“But-”
“Please be quiet, Archibald,” his father said, and he was silent.
His father continued to talk, and Archibald sunk into his seat. For a while, the debate blurred into pure noise. He caught the voices of his father and Brumble in argument; there was something about whose army was stronger. Archibald’s head fell into his lap.
Everything was going to be okay. Archibald was going to stop whoever was making demons, and he and his family could finally live a life without fear. He wanted to say he could decide on this, but he couldn’t. As his father continued talking, he could only wait for instruction on what he was going to do about the demons.
Who was he fooling? Archibald’s father was the demon king. The children of Dolus Tolvaj were becoming demons. Peter and Veronica were almost completely lost to their father’s will, and Archibald knew it was not long before he would be under his father’s control.
Would that even be so bad?
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After the meeting, Archibald and his father climbed back into the carriage. Archibald’s father was silent. And silence left room for Archibald to think.
What was he even worried about? He knew about this, didn’t he? Archibald already agreed that he would listen to whatever his father said. If he even doubted his father for a moment, his magic would be weaker. Father knows best anyways, doesn’t he?
Archibald always trusted Father, so what difference did it make now? Father was always trustworthy. Becoming a demon just meant trusting Father even more.
At the end of the carriage ride, Archibald’s father commanded, “Follow, Archibald.”
Archibald followed his father up the tower to the dormitory. Then, Archibald had a thought. He should tell Sutsugua. Of course, Archibald didn’t need Sutsugua’s opinion to trust Father, but it would soothe his mind. His father was walking away, but when Archibald turned down the hallway, his father called out to him.
“Archibald,” his father said, “What are you doing? Going out to see a dragon? It’s quite late, and the final voting on the new king is tomorrow. Sleep now.”
As Archibald walked back up the hallway towards the dormitory, he saw his father call over an instructor. Stepping out of the hallway, he heard whispers of a dragon. Was Father planning to find Sutsugua?
As Archibald tucked himself into bed among his nine siblings, he wondered what his father wanted with Sutsugua. Maybe Father wanted to know that Archibald was safe with the dragon. Of course, Father always has Archibald’s best interest in mind, so that must have been it. Then again, wouldn’t it have been easier to ask Archibald? Father was trying to keep this search from Archibald, not to let Archibald know that he was going after Sutsugua.
Whatever Father was doing with Sutsugua, it was for Archibald’s good.
It had to be for his good. Archibald trusted his father wholeheartedly, but he couldn’t help but want to get out of bed. At the very least, he wanted to verify that his father was doing this for his good. He trusted his father, but the confirmation wouldnt be so bad.
His foot slipped out from beneath his blanket, stepping off onto the floor. As Archibald sat upright, however, his foot shot back. His body tucked itself tightly into the blanket. No, he should rest. His father was trustworthy, and Archibald needed to be rested for the following day, so no point in getting up.
No point disobeying his father.
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