A Crowned King (Complete)

Chapter 2

Mako sat in his father's office, going through the pages of his recent ledgers. As he looked over the numbers, he had to admit that his father was quite the businessman. Taxes were regularly collected and no one missed a payment. That's what happened when a Nation had a burgeoning economy.

The Prince closed the ledger and ran a hand over his face. There was so much on his mind; so much that he couldn't seem to put together in his mind. There were so many questions about who had killed his father, but there were no answers readily available.

Sitting down in his father's chair -- his chair now he guessed -- he realized that there was only one way he was going to get any answers. He was going to have to call on Captain Grayson Porter, the leader of the Warden Corps and head of the investigation into his father's assassination.

"Moran!" Mako called out to the man that was outside of the office. The door opened and the Royal Order Knight stepped into the room, his face hidden by his helm. But he knew the man very well. "I need a messenger. Find one and send him to me please."

The Knight bowed his head. "As you wish, my Prince." he replied, aloof as they were reputed to be before turning and leaving the room.

The Prince could hear the boot steps of the man disappearing down the corridor to fetch his messenger. He knew that he wouldn't be alone though. There would be at least two other Order Knights outside of his door, keeping him from being assassinated.

The Heir thought of that and felt anger well up inside of himself again. He didn't know how long it would take for the anger to fade, if it ever did. He thought that the only way that it would at least dim some would be if he discovered exactly who had had his father killed. It would give him some sense of finality; some sense of closure that he truly needed. It was just a matter of actually figuring out who had done it though. It wouldn't be an easy thing to figure out without some hands on investigating.

It was just a matter of figuring out how to go about doing some investigating of his own without being caught by the Royal Order or anyone else. They would severely condemn his actions and demand that he return to the throne, to leave the investigation to the professionals.

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Grayson Porter was a larger than life figure in Blackreach and he looked the part as he walked into Mako's office. He was tall, standing at six foot two, and muscular with broad shoulders and larger arms. He had short cut dark brown hair that he wore spiked up in front and dark gray eyes. He was handsome with high cheekbones, a square jaw, and a thin, slightly broken voice. He wore black leather armor, black linen trousers, black doeskin boots, and a black leather belt with a longsword sheathed at his hip with a dagger sheathed at the small of his back as well. Engraved on the front of his leather armor was a five pointed star, the sign of the Warden Corps. Next to it was a golden sword, the crest of the Warden Captain, the one in charge of the Warden Corps in Blackreach.

The Warden clapped a hand over his chest and bowed his head in the royal salute. "You called for me, my King?" he asked, his curiosity brimming under the surface.

"I'm not your King yet."

"Of course, my Prince. Forgive me." Grayson replied with a nod of his head.

The Heir waved his hand, dismissing his worries. "No offense was taken, Captain." he replied. "I brought you here to discuss something different than my honorifics."

"What would that be?"

"Please take a seat Captain." Mako told him, gesturing to the seat across from his desk. He poured a bottle of brandy and pushed it to the other side of the desk. The Captain walked over and took his seat right across from him with a serious look adoening his features. "This may be a long talk."