Dark Prince

CHAPTER 6 - Negotiations, Part 1

Danny woke up in bed to the feeling that it was going to be a tense sort of day. He learned a few days ago that the castle walls positively oozed the demeanor Pariah Dark was in, an right now, the Ghost King was tense. Something was either going to happen, something already DID happen - 

"Phantom, My Liege wishes you presence in the War Room."

-  or they were going to have another discussion. Great.

Danny gave Fright the affirmative and headed into the dressing room, where Dore selected yet another pure black ensemble for him to wear, and then was led to the War Room by Fright. En route, he initiated some conversation.

"...Why the War Room?" he asked as casually as he could. Fright flicked his gaze at Danny before staring ahead again. 

"I believe My Liege wishes to discuss juristictions and leadership plans with you," he replied. "Perhaps he means to... collaborate with you."

"Oh," Danny replied. "... Alright."

"Indeed."

They walked in silence all the way to the War Room, which was a large stone room with an enormous window that covered almost an entire wall, and opposite it was a huge tapestry that depicted a coat of arms of a horned skull, that Danny guessed was Pariah Dark's own emblem. In the middle of the room was a large table that could easily seat about thirteen men the size of Pariah Dark's 12-foot stature, but there were only two seats.

Seated at one of them was the Ghost King, who was looking over a large scrolled map with avid interest. He didnt look up until Fright rapped his knuckles on the doorframe.

"I've brought Phantom, My Liege," he announced. Pariah Dark nodded and gestured Danny in, and Fright took his leave.

Danny walked over to the large table and stood next to the empty seat. Pariah Dark nodded again, and Danny sat down. The Ghost King pushed the map aside and gave his attention to Danny.

"I've called you here today to discuss your role as Prince," he said, folding his hands on the table top. "I have thought over your terms, and wish to discuss them with you." Danny nodded, and he continued, taking out the book he'd written his thoughts on the matter in. "Your first term, for me to stop terrorizing the ghosts..." He scowled. "...Boy, tell me of your government."

...That was an unexpected and somewhat errelevant question. Nevertheless, Danny answered. "We have a president," he began, "and a vice-president..." He went on to explain everything he had learned in US Government class, all the while seeing Pariah Dark's scowl deepen as he spoke. He finally finished about senators when the Ghost King raised  hand for silence.

"I've heard enough," he said, "to know that your form of government is flawed."

"Of course it's flawed!" Danny replied. "ALL forms of government are flawed!" Before Pariah Dark could get on him fo interrupting, he continued. "Monarchy, Communism, Fascism, Democracy... it's ALL flawed!" There IS no perfect form of government, no matter how much 'terror' you put into it! But terror is what causes uprisings and THAT'S why the ghosts faught back last time - !"

"ENOUGH!" Pariah Dark shouted, silencing Danny. He gave the halfa a cold stare. "Fool boy! I KNOW about government! I was a king from my fifteenth year until the time I died, and a king after that to this point! I have seen many techniques of monarchy, and NONE  of them are perfect! I KNOW this! But I ALSO know that it is better to be feared than loved by your people!

When your people love you, rebels in your kingdom think you weak and easily toppled. If you are feared, the rebels dare not defy you, and they are better behaved!" He made sure Danny had his complete attention before continuing. "Ghosts are harder to rule than humans for the sole reason that they too have power. Ghosts are powerful, arrogant undead creatures that become unruly if not put in their place. If they do not FEAR you, they will rise AGAINST you. I'm QUITE sure you know what I'm talking about."

Danny faught down a blush, remembering the incident about three years prior. Seeing the boy abashed, Pariah Dark went on.

"I rule by fear, because, like my human subjects of long ago, beloved kings are toppled easily. Feared kings rule longer. It's a basic fact.

"A fact, but a flawed one," Danny shot back, scowling himself. "In my experience, and one you have to know for yourself, ghosts are like animals. When backed into a corner, they fight tooth and nail to get out alive... in a manner of speaking. When a whole population of them are threatened, no matter if they were enemies before, they will band together to get rid of the common threat. I'm QUITE sure you know what I'm talking about." He sent the Ghost King his most mocking tone he could.

Pariah Dark felt a twitch in his missing eye, but he forced himself NOT to lose his composure. "So," he replied with forced calmness, "it would seem that we are on opposite views of how to run a kingdom."

"Duh," Danny replied, rolling his eyes. "YOU want to be feared. I want to be compassionate. Is there any middle ground?" Danny paused and shook his head a little. Compromising on how to run a kingdom with his fiance? Damn it to Hell, he had to get out of here... "...OTHER than you being a tyrant and me being a total softy on them, I mean," he added sarcastically.

More twitching. "Are your asking me to be less of what I am?" he asked, a sneer creeping into his voice. "Because if you are, you are sorely mistaken. I refuse to be less than what I am."

"You mean to tell me that you're PURE malice, evil, and lack of compassion?" Danny asked. "If so, then why even BOTHER with me as a consort? What's the point?"

Rather than giving away the fact that he didnt even know himself, Pariah Dark pretended to ignore the question and go on. "What would you have me do?" he asked, glaring. "I run my kingdom with iron fist, and - !"

"AND," Danny interrupted, "it's gotten you several hundred years of sleep in a sarcophagus, your subjects hating you, and every ghost who's ever to come in the future hating you upon arrival!" Danny glared right back, refusing to break eye contact. "You were locked away because the ghosts HATED you, Pariah! They. HATED. You. And now that you have another chance to change, you're just going to throw that away, maybe to have the same thing happen again!

There's a saying, 'history has a way of repeating itself'. And it's TRUE, in your case!" Danny pushed on the table, pushing his chair back and standing up. "I'm not asking you to change who you are, I'm asking you to change how you act! Instead of getting the ghosts to hate you right off the back, try getting them to TRUST you first!" With that, he turned and stalked out of the War Room without a dismissal, leaving Pariah Dark to sit gaping after him, frozen at the unexpected and appalling tongue-lashing his consort-to-be had just given him.

Never... in ALL his years as a king...!

While Pariah Dark was left sitting in the War Room, trying to sort his thoughts on the matter, Fright, who was listening from outside the doors, stared between his King and his future Prince in awe.

'Maybe the boy was right,' he thought to himself. 'Maybe the King DOES keep him around because he has the pair to argue with him...'

Feeling his respect for the boy go up a few notches, Fright followed Danny to make sure he didnt try to escape, or anything.

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Mmmyep... four parts to a negotiation. Fuuuuuuuun...

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Two chapters in one day..... Wow...! Well... See you soon!