The chamber was dim, only a single golden lamp flickering on the king's desk. The heavy doors closed behind us, and for the first time that day, there were no eyes, no ears, no council—only the King and his general.
Chris leaned back in his chair, his crown resting casually on the table beside him, not on his head. He didn't need it here. His presence alone carried the crown.
Chris (calm, low voice):
"I need you, Soren. Don't mistake today's lash as rejection. It was necessity. You went soft on your boyz. Discipline slipped, and when discipline slips, empires burn."
I kept my posture stiff, hands behind my back, but his words cut through.
Soren:
"My King… my men are steel. They live and die on your command. Yes, some grew prideful. Yes, I did not cut them down fast enough. That is my failure. But soft? Never. They would bleed Blackwood until death."
Chris rose, stepping closer, his eyes piercing through me.
"No, Soren. You are steel. Your men are not. They follow your shadow, but even shadows bend. If you grow lenient, they grow weak. And weak men cannot carry my empire."
He paused, staring directly into my soul.
"You are my hammer, my wall, my iron. If you go soft again, I won't punish them. I'll break you."
I clenched my jaw, the sting of his words hitting deeper than the lash itself.
"My King… then break me, if I ever fail you again. But until then, know this—there is no force alive, no kingdom breathing, no soldier born that will make me betray your trust."
Chris studied me in silence for a long moment, then smirked faintly. He placed his hand firmly on my shoulder.
"That's why I need you, Soren. Because even when I cut you, you bleed loyalty."
He let go, walked back to his chair, and picked up the crown.
"Now… go back to your barracks. Forge your men harder than ever. If I hear another whisper of softness in my army, there won't be another public lash. There will only be your execution."
I bowed deeply, heart heavy but burning.
"Yes, my King. As you command."
And when I left that chamber, I swore on my life—I would never let the word soft touch my name again.