"It's all going to cost a lot of money," Harald finally said.
"We have the money. Tonight, I'll give you two thousand dragons. After a while, I'll give you the same amount again. That will be enough to start with."
"Impressive!"
"We're playing for high stakes. If possible, make sure that both the shop and the inn generate income. If they do operate at a loss, it shouldn't be too large. I'll cover it, of course, but that's not desirable."
"I'll do my best."
"Now, here's the next thing. For all those who are curious, the king gave Orm brothers money for their service, and they decided to invest it in their own business. That's the first legend. The second, for those who are smarter, is that the king himself invested money in a profitable venture but does not want his name spread around. For a good legend, I repeat, there must be profit."
"And in reality?"
"In reality, right now, you and I are organizing a new service. The Crown Guard—that's what it's called. And standing before me is its first commander."
Orm somehow perked up at these words. He held my gaze for a moment, then shifted it toward the raging sea. The wind ruffled his hair, and I would have given anything to know what thoughts were running through his head right now. Did he understand the scale and responsibility of the undertaking? Was he ready to serve and not betray? To buy others and not sell yourself?
"Who else knows about this?"
"No one, Orm—just you and me. Remember: no talking to the lords, even if they are my grandfathers or uncles, or my mother, or your relatives." I paused for a moment, formulating my thoughts as carefully as possible. "Understand me correctly. I'm not trying to scare you, but you are forbidden from having any contact with the aforementioned individuals, as well as Lord Varis, without my permission. Absolutely forbidden!"
"That's clear. But what if they try to influence me in some way?"
"Send them all far away for a long time. To the king, for example." I smiled.
"And if they blackmail me?"
"With what?"
"Like everyone else, I've done some unpleasant things."
"Harald, I absolutely don't care about anything that happened before today. Until this moment, you are as pure as the first snow to me. We're leaving the past in the past." Well, it seemed that Orm quickly grasped what was going on and had now secured royal indulgence for himself. I don't know what he had behind him, but I hope he didn't commit any truly terrible crimes.
"All right, I understand you, Your Majesty. Just a couple more things—where can we discuss important matters, and what about my service as your bodyguard?"
"Stay in my security detail for now. But if you need to do something or leave, do it immediately—just warn your brother. We'll talk here, on the beach or in the park. Just give me a sign like this to let me know you want to speak." I showed him an inconspicuous gesture. "Just try not to abuse it. The castle is full of watchful eyes that will take an interest in our frequent meetings."
"I understand." He wrapped his cloak around himself. "May I go, Your Majesty?"
"Of course, Ser Harold. Go. And remember—I am counting on you very much."
The knight turned sharply, his cloak fluttering, and headed for the steps. I watched his back, a thousand thoughts racing through my mind.
Of course, I'm taking a risk by entrusting such an important task to someone I barely know. But what choice do I have in the face of a personnel shortage? Who else could check on Harald? Varys is out of the question. The stewards have already found out everything they could. Herald has also told me everything about his brother. So we'll take what we have and not be picky.
At first, I won't assign anything serious to Harald and his Crown Guard service. If he betrays me or proves incompetent—well, I'll only lose money.
After a while, once I've tested Harald in action, it will be time for more significant assignments. To grow a tree, you have to plant a seed. To build a building, you have to dig a foundation pit. And to organize a secret service from scratch, you have to find a person and start doing something. Of course, both Harald and I are new to this business. We will inevitably bump our heads and make a number of mistakes. The main thing is that they do not become critical.
Harald has already earned one significant plus in my eyes—he didn't ask for any personal compensation. That means he understands that considerable sums of money will pass through his hands and realizes that the king is not going to skimp on such a venture. Accordingly, the head of the new service will get his share—titles, money, land. But the most important thing here is something else: power.
I turned toward the approaching storm and took a deep breath. The fresh sea air stirred and sharpened my imagination. It began to rain—the first large drops fell on the terrace and on my face. I raised my head to the heavens and ran my tongue over my lip, tasting the rain. For some reason, it seemed unusually delicious.
"Your Majesty," Herald's soft voice distracted me from my thoughts. "A very severe storm is approaching. Perhaps it's time to return to the castle?"
And to the sound of raindrops carried by the wind, we set off for the Red Keep.
(End of Chapter)
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