Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Zant's War - Ryo Fui

"Barter." Zelda repeated. She leaned back. "I'm listening."

Kei Ki said, "The first thing you should know is the priests were not on your side and would one day rebel against you, perhaps by claiming the original validation of your holy rule is false. Zant targeted them for solidifying your position on the throne, but we also learned Ryo is deeply involved with them. He bought them. Your own priests serve Ryo."

"Pardon?" Zelda asked in surprise.

"I do not know the accounting side of it, but have your minister of commerce go over the inventory of the priest's coffers. While the palace pays them in tax, the priests are far wealthier than they should be with a rupee here and rupee there, or even the heavy donations from the state. They are hardly despondent monks. I'm sure you will find they have been in Ryo's pocket for years."

Zelda shared a glance with Impa, and Zelda nodded. Impa understood the order. Zelda wanted this confirmed.

She was pleased. That was incredibly useful. The priests had been part of the foundation of her placement on the throne, and if they were in Ryo's pocket they could remove that foundation out from under her. But the thought also worried her: Were they working for Ryo when she was validated to begin with?

What was she thinking! Of course they were! Zelda being on the throne was all part of Ryo's plan to place a second heir in rival to the prince. An heir he could back and use to even the odds of the court. But now that the prince was gone, and the rival Chancellor was gone, that left only Zelda against him. Well... Impa and Zelda. Impa had returned, Zelda had to remind herself. But none of the less with a single move from Ryo, namely the priests proclaiming they had miss-read signs from Naryu in placing Zelda as daughter of the former king, would be an instant victory for Ryo.

Ryo had the kingdom in checkmate all this time, and Zelda had narrowly evaded it thanks to this mafia head.

"Go on." Zelda said.

Kei Ki smiled darkly, seeing he was succeeding. "The next thing I can bargain, Princess, is an army."

The court stirred and whispered among each other. Impa blinked and Zelda pondered it.

Zelda could not think of what he meant. There was another army? She knew of every army in Qin. She had even found armies that were said to be extinct to aid her.

"I find that difficult to believe," Impa said. "There is not a drop more of soldier blood to be siphoned than what is already known by the court."

"Unless that army is not made of sanctioned soldiers." Kei Ki said smoothly. "Princess... how many nations exist within Qin?"

"No riddles, Kei Ki. Speak plainly!" One of her court ministers said. Others yelled in agreement.

"Fine, fine." Kei Ki rolled his eyes. "Spoil my moment, why don't you! Princess, imagine the entire criminal network of Qin united into an army." Zelda's eyes briefly widened, even Impa was surprised and terrified of the implications. "Every bandit. Every murderer. Every assassin, torturer, prisoner, criminal, vagabond, and piece of scum-filled shit the streets of Qin has stuffed in its corroded crevices! The family of Ki is massive, all encompassing, and hidden within the very framework of the land! The mafia has a hand in everything and is powerful enough to be considered a country in its own right!" Kei Ki stood to his feet, and the guards did not stop him, for they too were stunned by his words. "Now imagine all of it... all of it united into one spear. One gloriously bloody barbed spear thrust into the heart of whoever you point it at!"

"Including my own?" Zelda wondered.

Kei Ki chuckled, "Betrayal? Is that what you think? Princess! Betrayal is so boorish! So predictable! I am not so poor in ambition that all I have is money and a desire for power! Money! I have had it and I found it worthless! Power? I can do with a hundred men what others do with thousands! So what is power to me? I am not some brute! I am an artist! Imagination flows best when you have to work with less! But grant me this, this permission, and I will show you what an army can truly do!"