"That doesn't really answer my question." Alfred said. He leaned back against the desk and pinned the King with an expectant look. He was playing a dangerous game being so direct with this man but couldn't back down now even if he wanted to.
The King regarded is posturing with open amusement. This caused Alfred's hackles to rise a bit, he didn't like being laughed at even if he'd given the other person a reason to. The King grew even more amused as if he could read every thought that was going through Alfred's head. Alfred narrowed his eyes and tried to make his mind as blank as possible. You never knew...it was very possible that the King might very well be able to read minds. The King was an elemental like Matthew was and reading minds didn't seem like something that they would be able to do but the Northern King was much more powerful then his brother was and had been practicing for a lot longer. Anything was possible.
"As King it is my responsibility to myself, and my people, to keep track of what my neighbors are up to," the King finally answered. "You never know where an unexpected threat may arise from. It is also my responsibility to keep track of what my family is up to...even if they are not my family yet."
Alfred's eyes widened at the implication behind that statement. He glanced back at his father who was glaring at the Northern King in open irritation. How far back did this arrangement go he wondered. Back to when his father had promised never to do anything like this to Matthew? Had his father made that promise knowing full well that he would one day break it?
His father's eyes shifted over to Alfred. He sighed wearily as he took in the expression on Alfred's face and rubbed at his forehead. "You should leave, Alfred. I will speak to you about all this later."
"No," Alfred said firmly, bristling a little as the anger began to seep back in. "I won't let you push me out, not now. I won't let you sign Matthew's life away without a fight."
"I'm not..." his father started to argue but Alfred cut him off.
"Yes you are," he said darkly. "He's not even 30 and you're preparing to sign a contract that will force him to marry this..." he trailed off and glanced at the Northern King who arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing. "...this man he's never met until right now. It's for life...and they don't even know if they like each other yet. What kind of future is that for him? How could you do that to him?"
"Alfred," his father said with a strange tightness to his voice. "I know how this seems..."
"How it seems?" Alfred questioned with a harsh chuckle. "It seems to me you broke your promise. You promised me you would never do this to him. You agreed with me that because Matthew doesn't have a choice in anything else that's going to happen to him in his life, that since he was born with the magic while I was not so that he must rule Britannia someday and he doesn't get any say in the matter. You agreed with me that because of all that he should at least be able to choose his partner. Did that promise mean nothing to you?"
"Of course it meant something," his father said in a painful voice. "But I had no choice. I made that promise because you also made one yourself that day. You agree you'd take his place if it ever came to it. But you weren't here..."
"Oh..." Alfred breathed as realization slammed into him. He stumbled backwards a little and grabbed the end of the desk for support. His father reached out a hand across the desk to help Alfred glared at it as he regained his balance.
At World's End -- Part 2d
The King regarded is posturing with open amusement. This caused Alfred's hackles to rise a bit, he didn't like being laughed at even if he'd given the other person a reason to. The King grew even more amused as if he could read every thought that was going through Alfred's head. Alfred narrowed his eyes and tried to make his mind as blank as possible. You never knew...it was very possible that the King might very well be able to read minds. The King was an elemental like Matthew was and reading minds didn't seem like something that they would be able to do but the Northern King was much more powerful then his brother was and had been practicing for a lot longer. Anything was possible.
"As King it is my responsibility to myself, and my people, to keep track of what my neighbors are up to," the King finally answered. "You never know where an unexpected threat may arise from. It is also my responsibility to keep track of what my family is up to...even if they are not my family yet."
Alfred's eyes widened at the implication behind that statement. He glanced back at his father who was glaring at the Northern King in open irritation. How far back did this arrangement go he wondered. Back to when his father had promised never to do anything like this to Matthew? Had his father made that promise knowing full well that he would one day break it?
His father's eyes shifted over to Alfred. He sighed wearily as he took in the expression on Alfred's face and rubbed at his forehead. "You should leave, Alfred. I will speak to you about all this later."
"No," Alfred said firmly, bristling a little as the anger began to seep back in. "I won't let you push me out, not now. I won't let you sign Matthew's life away without a fight."
"I'm not..." his father started to argue but Alfred cut him off.
"Yes you are," he said darkly. "He's not even 30 and you're preparing to sign a contract that will force him to marry this..." he trailed off and glanced at the Northern King who arched an eyebrow at him but said nothing. "...this man he's never met until right now. It's for life...and they don't even know if they like each other yet. What kind of future is that for him? How could you do that to him?"
"Alfred," his father said with a strange tightness to his voice. "I know how this seems..."
"How it seems?" Alfred questioned with a harsh chuckle. "It seems to me you broke your promise. You promised me you would never do this to him. You agreed with me that because Matthew doesn't have a choice in anything else that's going to happen to him in his life, that since he was born with the magic while I was not so that he must rule Britannia someday and he doesn't get any say in the matter. You agreed with me that because of all that he should at least be able to choose his partner. Did that promise mean nothing to you?"
"Of course it meant something," his father said in a painful voice. "But I had no choice. I made that promise because you also made one yourself that day. You agree you'd take his place if it ever came to it. But you weren't here..."
"Oh..." Alfred breathed as realization slammed into him. He stumbled backwards a little and grabbed the end of the desk for support. His father reached out a hand across the desk to help Alfred glared at it as he regained his balance.