Silence rushed into the room like a storm through an open window as Daneel finished speaking and put his hands behind his head, leaning back against the cushions that were better than those on Athwarf, for once.
After returning to the inn they were staying in, he had immediately called both of his companions and begun explaining about what he was going to do. If things were to go smoothly, he needed both of their help, but even if they weren't really willing…he was prepared to go it alone.
Some of his earliest plans had been carried out with his own two shoulders available to count on, and he definitely wouldn't balk if that needed to happen again. As he looked at the elf and the thief, though, he found himself hoping, slightly, that he could count on them…but he shook his head quickly a moment later to dispel the thought as he honestly didn't know whether he could trust them, yet.
Keeping this in mind, he had already made two versions of the plan. The one he had told them was the first version, which had specific roles for them to carry out. Both the roles didn't carry even the slightest element of risk unless one acted in the most foolish way possible, and as Daneel looked into Alex's eyes, he could tell that the man was seriously considered it.
The elf was unreadable, though. It seemed that the globes of light below his ears corresponded to his mood; right now, they were flashing dimly while his eyes were closed in thought. He always claimed that using a spell to hide his face which was made to look like a human's when he was outside tiresome, so whenever he got a chance, he dispelled it so that he could be his usual self without being afraid of being seen.
Daneel, himself, had been tempted to take off his mask after seeing this as after wearing it for a long time, a slightly sweaty feeling tended to cover his face. The thief looked like he wasn't going to do any such thing, though, so with a flash of stubbornness, he had decided to follow suit.
The elf was the first to break the silence. Looking up, he smiled and said something to himself that sounded like the ancient tongue, even though Daneel couldn't be sure.
With his eyebrows raised, he continued to speak in the tongue that the others understood, and when he was done, Daneel found himself smiling.
Long-winded as always, the elf ended his speech with a bow during which he somehow managed to look graceful despite being seated. Daneel had never been one to look for praise, but when given it where it was deserved, he wasn't one to shirk away from it, either.
Expectantly, he looked at Alex, and his smile slid off when he saw that the man was glaring at the elf. With pursed lips, Daneel waited for the response from the burned man…and when it did come, the beginning of it was given in such a grudging tone that Daneel was sure that the words had been pushed out with the greatest of difficulty from the very depths of his gut.
"It's a pretty genius plan; one of the best I've seen: simple, but with a good chance of success. I have to admit that. But…have you even thought about what you'll be causing by the end of it? Do all these people deserve it? Look, I'm all for going up against those who should be rotting in hell…but from everything I've heard, this guy is actually supposed to be a great ruler! You're going to be bringing ruin to something he built with so much effort based on one experience. I do not doubt what you saw…but what if the people are innocent? What if you will be messing with them for no reason, and what if things turn out in a way that will make us all feel like the villains of this tale, instead of the heroes that the elf sees us as?"
Daneel watched on as Alex grew more and more passionate with each word that he spoke. By the end of it, he had even risen half to his feet, his transformed face looking worried, sad, and angry at the same time, like that of someone whose doubts were almost about to blow up their mind.
'Has he done something before that he regrets? Like Mors said, there is truly more to him than meets the eye…and hell, maybe I should apologize.'
The main reason he thought this was that in Alex, right now, he could see someone that was trying to grow further and further away from someone he had been. He had no intention to pry into his past…but anyone putting in such an effort had to be admired, and supported, if possible.
In a tone filled with as much patience as possible, Daneel gave the answer that he had already thought of. In each and every one of his plans, he always considered this aspect, first. After all, he had lived his entire life only targeting those who had every right to be targeted due to their deeds, and just because he was in a new place, it didn't mean that the rules that he lived by would change.
"Yes, I will be sowing discord to get the guards away from the Palace so that I can get that guy alone. I will be doing so in a way that might affect this city for generations to come. My justification is this: if what we're seeing here is true, if the beggar king is really someone so beloved that people can unite behind him without a care for the life, then no matter what I do, their bond will remain, tested but whole, and they will recover. Hell, it might even be as if nothing had happened, and if that is the case, then it would even have grown stronger! But if it is all on the surface, and underneath, there is something that none of has seen, yet…then it has always been a house of cards poised to fall with the right push. Let me put it this way: with my plan, we will also be confirming whether I'm right about the beggar king, or whether you are. I would really appreciate if you aid me in this endeavor. And I apologize if I hurt your feelings before. It's just that I tend to get carried away when I remember things I have failed in…and it seems that I'm not a stranger in this, either."
For a second, when Daneel began his apology, it had seemed as if everything was going to be alright. He even believed that Alex was soon going to go back to his normal self: the historian who was always ready to speak up about everything that needed to be explained, but just when he finished speaking…the thief's face changed, draining of all blood as if a topic that he had never wanted to be reminded of had been touched.
Getting up, he stormed to the door and opened it after dismissively throwing some words over his shoulder.
"I'll do it. But don't presume that you know anything about me."
Just like that, he was gone, leaving Daneel gawping at the place he had stood at before closing his mouth with a flash of anger.
'Well… I did my part. If he wants to be like that, I don't care as long as he helps me. If his help would not bring down the probability of failure significantly… I would even choose to abandon him right here. Maybe I will do that when this task is done...'
The elf snickered, right then, and Daneel rounded on him. As if already seeing the mistake he had made, Mors raised his hands apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, but you two just reminded me of my father and his brother. I'll give you the reason behind that later. For now, let's get an early night. We have a lot to do tomorrow…and the show goes down the day after. I reckon that we'll need a lot of rest before both of them, so…good night!"
The elf half ran out of the room, leaving Daneel alone. For a few seconds, he was tempted to have a repeat of that night before…but abandoning the idea, Daneel took the elf's advice and went to bed.
No matter what Alex was feeling, Daneel trusted him enough that he would keep his word once he had given it. And even if he didn't…the system had made sure that there were enough foolproof safeguards in place that things wouldn't go disastrously wrong despite the failure of a few tasks.
Sleep came slowly, and even when I did, he was hounded with dreams of his family from Angaria mocking him, saying that he still had a lot to learn.
When the morning came, Daneel sprang out of bed, and in just a moment, he was off…as indeed, a show needed to be set up, and it was going to be something the city of Marillein would never forget for decades to come.
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