Viva La Vida

part 21

   "Just a heads up," Niall says, popping his head into Liam's office, "I think the Germans will be giving you a call within the next few days. Something about new import-export negotiations? It'll be a good deal; I'd accept it if I were you."

"I never know how you know these things even before I do," Liam says admiringly. "But if I asked it would take away the magic, so I'm not going to."

"That's the spirit."

Liam grins tiredly and leans back in his chair. "Think I'm going to turn in for today. There's nothing urgent that I should know about, yeah?"

"Not at all. Take a fucking break, mate, you need one. Let us underlings do a bit of the hard stuff for once."

"Please. If anyone needs a break, it's you. I dunno how you do half the shit you do." He stands, stretching and beginning to gather the papers he'll need to look over later. "You're like a fucking wizard."

"Enh, it's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, mate, yeah?" Niall turns and heads to the door of the office, whistling the beginnings of some song that's been on the radio lately.

"Niall," Liam says abruptly, and Niall halts, half-turning to face him. "About those tapes."

Niall's face says something complicated—worry, admonishment, and restraint all at once. "Yeah."

"Do you know—y'know, never mind."

Niall raises an eyebrow.

"I don't think I should watch them," Liam explains. "It'd feel like an invasion of privacy."

"Oh, so what then? You turn them into the Council and they get assigned to someone else? It'll be less of an invasion of privacy if Orlington watches them?"

"I don't think it's fair, either," Liam says severely. "I'll be biased if I watch them. Because it's someone I care about, and all."

"Technically," Niall says just as severely, "as a king, you should care about all of your people, and so if you watch any of the tapes, you'll be biased."

"So maybe I shouldn't be watching any of the tapes."

"How can you make a fair ruling if you haven't seen the evidence?"

"Goddammit, Niall, you're not making this easy."

Niall shrugs. "My job isn't to make things easy. It's to tell you what I know, and what I know is that it will be infinitely better for you to be watching those tapes than anyone else. That's my professional and personal opinion, Your Majesty."

"Stop fucking pulling rank on me, Niall," Liam mutters, scrubbing a hand over his face. "I just want him to be okay. I don't want to open those wounds again."

Niall barks out a laugh. "Mate, those wounds have been open and bleeding since he got out of there. Pretending like it didn't happen is not going to fuckin' help him. Having strangers witness the worst thing that ever happened to him is not going to help him. Sanitizing it is not going to help him. You need to help him, Liam."

"I don't know if this is the way. It doesn't feel right." Liam sighs. "Thanks for your help, Niall."

"Any time. You should really get home and to bed. Zayner's probably waitin' for ya."