Chapter 388: The kindest words.
King Raff did not respond to what Roland said. Roland drew in a deep breath and he sat down. A quiet settled in between them-thick and old, like dust from a forgotten tomb.
Roland took another breath and he said, "I love my wife like a man who rules beside a den of lions," he said softly. "I know exactly who she is and what she is. She us not just my queen. She is the second half of my two pronged sword. When she speaks, people listen--because her voice carries iron and mercy in equal parts.
When the people are starving, she does not hesitate to open her purse or that of the Thorin family to feed them. If a plague or disease is spreading, she sleeps in an alchemy room, trying to figure out what herbs will cure our people.
When there is a threat on the wall, she does not hide but she picks up a blade, takes my hand and we fly to the wall together. We fight side by side and bathe in the blood of our enemies. She is fearless and she is my pride."
"And if she turns on you?" King Raff asked, narrowing his eyes. "Lord Benwick warned me about her."
"I choose to trust what I see and if that changes in future, it will not be impossible for us to go our separate ways legally. As for Lord Benwick, if he thought that my wife was so dangerous, why them did he try so hard to work for her?" Roland asked. "And when she refused, why was he so angry that he tried to blackmail her? Listeners were eliminated for a reason. You seem to have forgotten that."
"As were female mages." King Raff retorted. "You have also forgotten that."
Roland shrugged. "A female mage and a male mage are no different. They can both manipulate anyone if they wish to. Male mages only survived because kings needed them to become sword mages and lead battle. If not, they would have been stripped of magic too."
King Raff could see that he was losing this argument. He sighed, long and low. Exhaustion was already claiming his body. "You are too naive and gentle."