My Dearest Enemy - GeminiFourth AU

46. Interrogation

Perth spoke to Fourth in his usual arrogant and superior tone. 

“Do you think they’ll elect you king? It’s funny, you know? Maybe they’ll even vote for you, and you know why?” 

Fourth didn’t know, and didn’t really want to know, what someone as perfidious and conceited as Perth Tanapon thought about all this. Tanapon wasn’t put off by this. He continued his hateful and contemptuous speech, sitting on the other side of a grey table that was attached to the floor by a spell. He had handcuffs on his wrists, and his eyes were flashing menacingly. Despite this, Nattawat didn’t seem to care. He seemed rather bored. At one point, he began examining his own fingernails, as if wondering if it wasn’t time for another dose of perfectly tailored care. 

“They’ll elect you because you’re weak, because you can be manipulated.  They will choose you, but if you think they will respect you, you are sorely mistaken. They will choose you, but only for themselves. They will do it because they can use you.”

Perth almost hissed as he leaned over the table. Gemini, who was standing on the other side of the one-way mirror with Joong and Pahn, clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He was about to enter the interrogation room when Pahn gently but firmly grabbed his arm.

“No need, Fourth is doing great,” She comforted him. Gemini looked at her.

Pahn had joined them very late, along with her twin brother, Poon. And she was closer to Fourth than Gemini, but he was still grateful for what she had done for them. He learned that she was the one who bandaged Chokun and the others’ wounds when they got into fights.  And it was she who often comforted Fourth when he was at the end of his rope. It was she who, at Fourth's request, visited Tu Tontawan when Nattawat was worried about her. She didn't have the best grades among the candidates for the Knights of Light, but she stood out for her kind heart, caring and slight shyness in contacts with one boy in particular.

Gemini nodded briefly and went back to watching Fourth, who was still listening to Perth's curses with an expression of complete boredom on his face. Gemini involuntarily laughed briefly.

“Genius. I'd already forgotten how tough guy Fourth is. Oh, it's all because of this pregnancy,” Gemini stated somewhat melancholy.

“And isn't it by any chance that you trained him like that? You used to attack him like that too. What, you don't remember?” Joong playfully punched him in the arm.

“What? Me? I always loved him, I would never…”

“Yeah... Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Pahn winked at him. “Even I remember you being mean to him, don’t try to charm us here now.” 

Gemini rolled his eyes. There was no point in arguing with these stubborn pair. He preferred to look at Fourth and Perth. 

“Of course they’ll choose me for that. You become a king for your subjects, not for your own gain. And I’m not naive, I don’t expect them to love me and carry me in their arms. I’m too young, it’s understandable that they won’t trust me at first, it's up to me to prove that I deserve respect. And what do you think a king is for, Perth?”

It was a trick question, and Nattawat asked it with stoic calm, looking at Perth with such a benevolent gaze that the accused shrank back in his chair.  He wanted to shield his face with his hands from the gaze that seemed to be scanning him like X-rays. He turned sideways to his interlocutor.

In the corridor, next to Gem, Pahn and Joong appeared Earth and Professor Zee Pruk, a secret agent of His Majesty, appointed before the previous king died.

Zee was dressed this time in the uniform of a regular bodyguard from the No-Magic world, everything black, including sunglasses, although these had gold frames. In one ear he had an earpiece that seemed almost transparent. On his neck you could see a tattoo of a red dragon.