"The insolent courier was not the first, nor will he be the last fool put to the blade as we build this kingdom" Raam replied meeting Chase's eyes. "As with any great movement there is a face fit for public consumption and then there is the set of dark, hidden and dirty machinations which drive the endeavor forward. I am willing to serve as the public face but never think me so foolish as to deny what must exist and what must be done to hold this kingdom together."
"Pride and self-righteousness are salves for the disenfranchised soul, my friend," Raam continued. I was not cast out of my house for epitomizing the ideals of chivalry and nobility, and I will not fall prey to the failings of those philosophies now."
"We must build a kingdom through the stability offered by justice and law. We, however, have been given the unique opportunity to write the laws!" Raam punctuated that statement with a raised eyebrow. "We must do what needs to be done to provide peace and security to this
kingdom."
"You and I are bonded, by fire, by situation, by destiny. Without you I am an exposed and weak public face. Without me, you would not have the opportunity to work with such impunity. You think Balian or Zuhair would share this same arrangement? In this place you have an
opportunity to raise your daughter in a web of protection. You have my word that I will stand ready to fight to protect what we hold dear."
"If you judged the courier to be worthy of death then I am happy you put him to the sword and spared the blood from my hands. I would say to you that as soon as I heard the story I knew what must have become of the man. I did not need to see the cloven footprints on the scene
to know your work," Raam smiled.
"I am not here to set boundaries or rules upon you, Chase. Do what must be done. If I disagree, I will let you know." Raam spoke in a deliberate tone.
"You cherish your secrets too much. It makes you perfect for this role in our kingdom, but don't let this become your weakness."
"And if I catch one of those kobold tunnelers you have boring through this castle like termites, spying upon me....you will return to find your bed filled with its charred remains," Raam said with a mischievous grin.
"See I can tell by the look on your face that you DO cherish your secrets a bit too much," Raam said with a laugh. "I sit for hours in silent meditation. I hear the tiny plinking of their pickaxes and hammers. My heightened sense of perception come from the same source the allows for this," said Raam as he raised his right hand in the air and it was engulfed with crackling flames."
"One day I will speak more of what I have learned of my own powers and the troubling visions I have seen. Now is not that time. So with that, do you have the answers you seek?" asked Raam again with a pointed eyebrow.
