The King smiles widely with a saintly touch.
"You finally show your true colors, my dear. Now how much does Leon know? Surely, you couldn't work alone."
"Leon is a curious boy and eager to poke into my affairs and steal my things." she replied.
"You got one of my men killed that day."
Amy looked confused at what he meant until he explained, "On the first day you arrived at the academy."
Amy then remembered him. It was the man she pointed out to Rufus. "He had malicious intent towards the prince. I did what I could to protect him. Do you intend to kill your own son and heir?"
"More like make him stronger, more aware of what he is getting into. He reminds me of what I used to be when I was his age. Reckless and irresponsible for my use in my powers. If he had siblings, then it would foster ambition, but he doesn't have any."
Wait, what is his ability?
"My ability is quite obvious. It is suitable for a king. It isn't flashy or powerful, but it is useful gathering information. Helena's ability works only on animals. Mine work on humans."
Amy felt a chill hearing that. Was he manipulating the court all along?
The king put a finger to his temple. "Mind reading is a useful skill especially for Kings because they all get paranoid for not knowing anything. My predecessor, King Lucius, tried to have me killed when the Royal court named me the next crown prince instead of his own son. But I survived because I kept this power secret for as long as I did, and I didn't have a choice if I wanted to live. Over the years, I had kept a cool head, and I never lost my composure or my trust in the right people. I always pride myself for choosing the biggest and brightest minds and potential."
That makes sense. King Claude's dark circles are not just a sign of aging but a side effect of his power and stress. It's probably a power he trained himself to control because it must be difficult to. This is the first time she has ever heard of the King's powers. There are rumors of what its true nature could be, but everyone assume that his power must weakened with age. Yeah, right! Clearly not.
"You want to recruit me?"
His gentle smile turned into a happy one. "Indeed, I do. But that can wait until after you graduate. It's plenty of time to think things through. But that isn't why I wish to speak to you." He says and his expression while retaining its gentleness turned serious, "I have many questions, but I guess I should start asking the ones that got me curious the most." He says then leans in, "What is your relationship with Bowen and how did you know him?"
"Oh shit!"
"I was known as the tinkerer in the county and reputed to create weird items. I encountered him when I was a child and we both share ideas. I still keep in touch with him when it comes to trying out his products." she says half truthfully.
"How about that Doctor Boris? I heard he was your psychiatrist when you were ill."
Amy kept a level of composure.
"He was a wandering doctor who got my father's attention after every local doctor couldn't cure me. Ever since then, whenever we need help, my father finds him, recruits him and recommends him. He cured me and I'm grateful for his medical expertise." she explained carefully.
"Then how about the Ripper? You took down a rogue spirit after hunting it down."
Amy hardened her expression. "Unfortunately, I would have to blame the government's incompetence for this. If all the nations worked together then you would have figured out the patterns and the clues. I had studied the victim's connection to each other, their ancestry but still couldn't figure it out until the Lune family had died. Even after finding out the truth, I cannot take full responsibility. Everyone, including your son, played key roles on taking down the Ripper."
He had an impressed expression, "You see now? You are a genius in the making. Solin is blessed to have such youthful talent." he said after clapping his hands together, confusing her. "You must have ambitions for you to nurture yourself like this."
Amy didn't reply. She doesn't wish to tell him anything.
"It is fine if you do not wish to tell me. I can pretty much guess that you wish to be stronger for some reason." he clarified. "But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't jump in and offer you the opportunity of a lifetime. You can become the next Crown Princ-"
"NO!" she exclaimed loudly, surprising him.
He then laughed softly like he expected it. "I'm not surprised. He must be quite unbearable if he becomes your husband. From what I heard, you two don't get along."
It's not just that. Melissa Orlando is the most suitable person to be the Crown Princess. No one can replace her since she will help save the world one day.
"Oh? No one can replace her? Do you truly see her as a friend?"
Amy gave her thoughts out to test his ability. It seems he can read minds. There is a limit to these kinds of abilities. There has to be. She just has to keep prying.
"How long have you known about me?" she asked.
"To be honest, I didn't. It was Helena that knew, and I found out through her. She has always been quite careful and to be honest, I was waiting for her to crack. It gave her thoughts away." he explained nonchalantly.
Amy had heard that Queen Helena was greatly worried for the state of her son. She must have gotten careless because of this.
"I see. So, you know that I was corresponding with her." Amy realized and played with a strawberry on her plate.
"She is the type to use everything at her disposal and would even use children to achieve it. Anything useless will be tossed away like garbage. She will not hesitate to dispose of you if you become an obstacle."
Amy didn't respond or react with any surprise. She knew that royalty is like this. They set up their own chess pieces for the chessboard that is politics. Amy admits that her knowledge of politics is due to what she studied, not experience. That is because she doesn't want to be in the game. It is dangerous, unpredictable and quite frankly, not her style.
"Why do you continue to work for her? What do you wish to achieve? Power, wealth, fame?" The King asked.
"Peace," she answered truthfully, surprising him.
"Peace?"
"Peace of mind, life and a future. Queen Helena may not be an outstanding monarch, but she advocates for peace and that is what I hope to accomplish in life"
The King seems astounded by her answer. "Well... I suppose that isn't a bad answer. But to acquire peace, there has to be a stormy conflict, enough to go to war for. And even if there isn't, there is conflict no matter where you find it. It is a surprisingly naive answer."
"There are things that even a mind reader would not be able to predict. You read people's thoughts not the future."
That answer seems to irk him a bit because she can feel a slight shift in mood.
Ah, she finally understood now.
"Stay away from Helena for a bit. When you graduate, you have the choice of promoting yourself as an elite warrior and eventually to the upper echelon of skill and merit. Think about who would really benefit you."
Amy ate her last strawberry, got off her seat and bowed to the King.
"Thank you for your hospitality and words, Your Majesty." She says and left the garden with an escort. She saw Lisa walking back, satisfied before seeing Amy head out.
"Are you going back now?"
"Yes,"