Chapter 381: The Offer of Power

Chapter 380: The Offer of Power

Lyria’s POV

Earl Hawthorne was quiet for a long moment.

The silence stretched between us, filled only by the gentle crackling of the fire and the distant murmur of the palace beyond my chambers.

I watched him carefully.

He seemed to be considering my words rather seriously.

At last, he exhaled through his nose and inclined his head.

"I stand corrected."

He regarded me for another moment before continuing.

"I had been rather too generous in my judgement."

I tilted my head.

"Too g-generous?"

"Indeed."

He folded his hands behind his back, his posture straightening almost instinctively. Even in the privacy of my chambers, there was something unmistakably aristocratic in the manner in which he carried himself.

"I had assumed that because your intentions were pure, the matter was therefore quite acceptable. I confess, I was rather of the opinion that because it was you, it would be all right."

I frowned.

"I d-do not quite u-understand what y-you mean."

His expression softened slightly.

"I mean that I had not considered the matter from your perspective."

He paused.

"Nor, perhaps, had I given sufficient consideration to the possibility that you ought not to dirty your hands at all when there are those willing to undertake such unpleasantness on your behalf."

I stared at him.

"Dirty my h-hands?"

"Metaphorically speaking."

There was the faintest trace of amusement in his voice.

"I should hope you understand that I am not suggesting your Highness ought to go about the palace committing crimes."

I gave him a look.

He cleared his throat.

"Though, given recent events, perhaps I ought not to jest about such things."

I could not help the small smile that touched my lips.

He continued.

"Actions have consequences, do they not?"

I nodded.

"I did not think for a moment that your actions lacked consequences. Rather, I was of the opinion that, regardless of what those consequences might be, you would have the support of those around you."

He paused.

"People such as myself, for instance. If the consequences proved greater than you had anticipated, you could call upon me. And I would come running."

"That s-still does not m-mean that my a-actions were j-justified." I said my brow furrowed in a frown. "Your argument s-still holds no g-ground with m-me because I w-was wrong."

"You are s-speaking of c-consequences and how y-you are willing t-to help me. But if I h-had been more g-grounded, the c-consequence would n-not have been this m-much."

I looked down at my hands.

"If I had g-given it more t-thought and considered a d-different solution, then perhaps the c-consequences of my a-actions would have b-been considerably r-reduced."

"And I d-doubt it would ever have r-reached the point w-where I would n-need to ask someone to do d-dirty work for me. Because I s-should have first t-thought of every l-loophole."

He remained silent.

"So I d-do not quite see h-how having support m-makes what I did acceptable."

I shook my head.

"Just b-because one has s-support does not m-mean they should f-forfeit all s-sense of reasoning l-like I did and e-endanger lives that were n-never meant to be e-endangered."

Earl Hawthorne studied me for several seconds, his brow drawing together.

"Are we speaking solely of what occurred at the arena? Or is there some deeper mistake of which you have yet to speak?"

I met his gaze.

For a moment, I considered answering.

Then I looked away.

"Does it m-matter? After all, one s-silly mistake may lead into v-various w-webs. And if one does not p-possess enough power to c-cut down those webs, then one may b-become entangled in t-them."

The words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I shook my head.

"F-forget it."

I expected him to let the matter rest.

He did not.

Instead, he took a step towards me.

"Use me."

"What?" I asked shock clouding my words.

He stopped a respectable distance away, though his gaze never left mine.

"From what I have understood of your words, you require power. Power with which to cut down the webs you fear may entangle you."

He paused.

"Then why not use me?"

I stared at him.

For some reason, those three words seemed far more serious than they ought to have been.

"That is n-not all I n-need."

"I am aware." He gave a small nod. "But it is a beginning, is it not?"

I shook my head.

"You d-do not even k-know what that p-power may b-be used for."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"No." He regarded me thoughtfully. "But I possess an inkling."

I narrowed my eyes at him and he gave a quiet chuckle.

"Do not look at me so suspiciously, Your Highness. I assure you, I have no intention of pretending to know the contents of your mind."

"Then h-how do you k-know?"

"Because you have made it rather obvious."

I opened my mouth, but he continued before I could protest.

"A good leader, in my estimation, is one who recognises the burdens carried by those beneath their protection."

His tone had become thoughtful.

"They may not be capable of removing every burden. Such a thing would be an impossible expectation of any ruler. But if they can lessen even half of them, then surely that is preferable to allowing their people to continue suffering beneath the whole weight."

"I believe you want power for more than the purpose of cutting down the webs surrounding you." He said stepping even closer. "You want the means to protect those who may otherwise be caught within them."

I swallowed.

His voice softened.

"Am I mistaken?"

I did not answer immediately instead I thought of everything I could correct if perhaps I had a little more power than I did now.

Then I nodded.

His expression softened.

He closed the remaining distance between us, stopping only when he stood near enough that I could see the faint crease between his brows.

"Then use me." He said his voice soft, almost pleading. "Please."