“Are you sure this room is secure?” the High General asked as he and the King of the Vrekans both sat down. “I do not have many fears, but I am not particularly fond of large, glass windows.”
“It is all secure,” the King of the Vrekans tried to reassure the High General. “Quintuple checked. I had my best Myst scan this room inside and out. Everything is safe. But why the dislike of windows?”
“Not all windows. Just large ones in tall buildings. I like to think of it as a natural fear, after being thrown from one and falling a long way, slamming into the ground at high speed.”
“When you put it like that, your worries are understandable. Would you like a drink, Elkay?”
“I would, Ver.”
The offer of a beverage seemed to calm down both leaders, allowing them to lower their guard, even if it was just for half an hour.
Ver pressed a button on his seat and a miniature bar popped out of the table in between them. The unfolding of this tiny drinks display seemed overly flashy, a stark contrast to everything else Vrekan.
“This was installed by the King of two generations previous!” Ver explained. “King Viplousis was not a good King, he spent the money of his people. This building was closed for a long time, but as our economy began to improve, I had it reopened as a state-sanctioned hotel, the lower floors rented out cheaply to Vrekans who must travel for work. This room though, I keep it for state visitors. When the Cassid or Vohra rulers come by, mostly.”
“Hm,” Elkay shrugged. “You have not brought me here before.”
“You do not seem the sort to enjoy opulence.”
“Well…” The High General hesitated. “I think everyone enjoys a bit of opulence, wealth and fortune… The problem is how much is too much, especially when your fellow vok cannot live the way you can.”
Ver nodded in agreement, pouring himself a glass of cold coffee, then adding a thick cream and a drop of a malt liqueur. “I understand that too well. What did you want to drink again?”
Elkay realised he hadn’t asked for anything and decided to just have what Ver was having. “But without the alcohol.”
“You never drink, do you?”
Another pause. “On second thought, just a drop. Everyvok else drinks. I am certain a small amount will not harm me. I only do not drink normally because I had the displeasure of being cornered by a methyied Photeianos one time too many.”
“I cannot imagine how awkward that feels…”
Yet again, Elkay hesitated. For reasons unknown, he felt comfortable talking to Ver. Perhaps too comfortable. Something about Ver’s mannerisms, the tone of his voice, it was as if Ver’s very words were attractive.
“Not great, I assure you.” Rather than leave his curiosity hanging, Elkay decided to address his concerns. “I hate to change the subject, Ver, but I must ask you… about your voice…”
“You noticed?” Ver’s tone immediately changed. As if he had suddenly become more rural. “I speak like that and everyone does as I say. Even before I became King. It’s as if people become hypnotized and want to bow down to me. So I speak like this when I realise my normal voice does not work.”
“How do you do it?”
Ver blinked. “You are not… angry about being deceived?”
“No,” Elkay explained. “I do the exact same thing. Yet this is how I speak naturally.”
With a sigh, Ver slumped in his seat, sipping his drink. “I feel like a fraud.”
“You are not a fraud.” Elkay sighed. He felt like a fraud too. But he had always somehow managed to justify it to himself. “It is not your fault that everyone blindly accepts your words. You are not actively altering others’ minds, are you?”
“Not at all!”
“Neither am I. Vok just… listen…”
Ver continued to sip his drink. Elkay took a glug of his, then stared out of the window. The view was pretty impressive. The building wasn’t that tall, but from there, he could both see a snow-covered mountain range and a storm coming in over the sea.
“Apart from that voice thing… this has been very relaxing…” Ver finally admitted.
“I agree. We need to do this more often. Perhaps discuss politics, then retire up here for half an hour.”
A smile sneaked across Ver’s face. “Does once a month sound good?”
“It does,” Elkay smiled back as he finished his beverage. “May I have another, King Ver?”
“Of course, High General…”