Stalemate | A Rise To Power

𝘌𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥

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She could see the confusion on Landon's face as she entered his chambers with a sleeping Malena in her arms. He had been reading a letter and had clenched it in his fist, crumpling the parchment. Ethelind almost smiled: it was petty, but she enjoyed seeing him stressed, something other than the composed façade he maintained. No matter how much people pushed him or threatened him or cajoled him, he stood tall, unmoved by the storms trying to knock him down. Even though the nobles were waiting for a marriage to Audrey, he always replied vaguely to their persistent questioning and had not called for an official coronation. Aldric's funeral had been a small, simple affair: Landon hadn't said a word throughout any of it, stony-faced. Ethelind had been quiet as well, but they had both opened their mouths to quietly sing a short hymn to the gods. After that, Landon had walked out and not spoken about it since, his only sign of mourning a continued use of black clothing.

People loved to meet him, but his time in the throne room was unpredictable; sometimes he only stayed for a few hours while he sometimes stayed until nightfall. He made up for it by promising to unite the Mainland States, however, and Ethelind was surprised by how many people were drawn to the idea. He travelled to villages spreading word, promising that a united country could improve trade and prevent war, but did it irregularly so that people whispered and rumours spread. Reputation was a weapon, and he honed it by absence. Being too present created a sense of commonness, of familiarity. And Landon knew it. Rumours in his absence could inflate his image more than presence.

What an ambitious bastard, Ethelind thought. The Mainland States have never been united.

And yet his army had grown by the thousands under his promises.

She almost felt sorry for Ulysses. The only way Landon could be delayed from victory was from Western involvement or the coup that Damek Westerling threatened from Lakewood Moat. Her spies reported Damek's army growing, and Damek had sent back the severed head of the ambassador Landon sent to negotiate with him. It seemed inevitable that they would come to blows at some point. A civil war could weaken his rule considerably—he still had to marry Audrey to gain the respect of many nobles to use their armies against Damek. A few lords and ladies had already bowed to him, however, anticipating his favour and their subsequent rise to more power.

Despite her flaunted reputation for arrogance and insolence, she was an excellent judge of character. People were narcissistic by nature, and liked to believe they were worthy of the best, the most powerful, the most handsome. By having those attributes, Landon could cling to power even without his actions. People were so desperate for his approval that they tripped over themselves to please him at every moment.

Even Audrey, Ethelind noted, was caught by the mystery of him. But Ethelind didn't know how to tell her that the mystery was just a wall Landon put up to hide a broken, insecure person underneath.

People were stupid and liked to take things at surface level. Dumbasses. Ethelind sometimes wondered if she was the only one left with any sense.

"Ah, so Jax and you did really go to Folkridge and murdered the woman I hired." Landon glanced at Malena. "How lovely."

Damn Jax for not keeping his mouth shut.

"I had to get Malena back. She was being mistreated, and I don't trust her in the village," Ethelind explained. "She is a valuable hostage, and if somehow her location had been..."

"I'm not taking care of her."

Hunter hissed from where he was curled on Landon's desk. The fox had become close to Landon and proved to be a vicious predator, tearing apart deer in the woods with the hunting dogs.