55 The Merchant Prince (1/2)
After she had said her piece, Princess Sumaki walked off. Even though her brother had followed her, he had apologized for his sister's rude behavior first. Right as the siblings disappeared around a corner, Sonco and Primus emerged from a hallway. A content grin on his face, his uncle pat Corco on the back.
”You handled yourself well there, but maybe it's time to go back now. You'll have to look steadfast in front of our people,” Sonco said.
”I lost my temper.” His head aimed at his feet, Corco still beat himself up over his mess of a confrontation with Pacha.
”These things happen. Unless someone were to seek fault, your reaction was entirely understandable. None of our allies will think less of you, and you managed to control yourself quite well in front of the furia just now.”
Surprised, the prince looked back up.
”You were watching?”
”Hahaha, the kid tried to run out by himself as soon as we found you, but this old man thought it might be better to let you sort things out yourself. Either way, you'll have to stand on your own two feet someday. Can't have my axe helping you out all the time.” Sonco laughed as he put his arm around the stiff shoulders of Primus.
”Well, I don't think I did that well,” Corco replied with a wry smile.
”At least you did better than I expected. I thought you'd explode again when that pompous Chutwa servant started to speak in foreign tongues.” When Corco thought back to the arrogant master Mazatl, realized that he could control himself because he had been more concerned with his sister than his own pride.
”Prince Corco, at least now we know that Prince Pacha will not be an opponent. No such simpleton will become emperor.” While Primus tried his best to throw off Sonco's heavy arm, he ridiculed Pacha in an attempt to cheer up his teacher. In response, Corco went into lecture mode again.
”You really shouldn't underestimate Pacha, or anyone, for that matter. Who knows, maybe it's all an act. After all, a weak successor would attract all the strong lords who strive for more power.”
”So Prince Pacha has tricked the other lords? Then your words at the end of your speech were meant to dissuade lords from joining him!” In principle, Primus didn't have a bad idea. Earlier, Corco had claimed any lord to support Pacha would only do so to exploit the imperial family. Just the claim by itself would damage the reputation of Prince Pacha's allies should they insist on their support. However, Corco didn't think it would help much.
”If it were that easy,” he said as his hand ran through his hair. ”No one ambitious enough to challenge the authority of the palace is gonna change their mind just because I exposed their plan. They can come up with any number of excuses. At least now, we'll know one thing: Everyone who still supports Pacha after tonight will be our enemy.”
”Come on my boy, we really should go back,” Sonco urged again.
”After you, uncle,” Corco smiled back. Although he had left the banquet in distress, he was glad to have taken his little time out. Despite his meeting with Spuria, he felt a lot calmer already.
As the trio returned back into their camp's alcove, many of the lords greeted Corco with encouraging nods and smiles. It seemed the atmosphere was not as poor as he had thought.
”I told you, my boy. Most estates are quite happy to see someone stand up to that self-important peacock,” Sonco said with a grin. It was nice that his uncle was optimistic, but Corco was sure that the lords in the other camps hadn't taken his outburst this well. On the plus side, Corco's description of his baby brother might stain him like blood on white robes, with how fond of gossip the lords were.
Once the evening was back on track, Corco resumed the work expected of him. As part of his duties, he would have to visit the tables of all his guests for a return visit. First, he went around his own alcove to give back small gifts in return for the ones he had received before. He could also use the chance to talk to all the lords in his camp and promise solutions to their varied troubles. As a bonus, he got to listen to their complaints about Prince Pacha's attitude. Maybe things weren't all bad.
After the sky had gone dark and the torches and coals had been lit, he had finished up his obligations within his own camp. For a while Corco sat back down to relax his shoulders, have a little drink and observe the happenings in the central court.
”The spring is coming by a many signs;
The trays are up, the hedges broken down,
That fenced the haystack, and the remnant shines
Like some old antique fragment weathered brown.
And where suns peep, in every sheltered place,
The little early buttercups unfold
A glittering star or two--till many trace
The edges of the blackthorn clumps in gold.
And then a little lamb bolts up behind
The hill and wags his tail to meet the yoe,
And then another, sheltered from the wind,
Lies all his length as dead--and lets me go