Dilan Lorin was always an intelligent man. As such, when he heard the Queen, he already understood where the conversation was going.
He was exposed and he knew that.
However, he didn't show anything.
"I think the answer to that question is obvious, Your Majesty," he replied, maintaining a calm expression.
Observing the Minister for a while, there was a slight smile on the Queen's face.. "You are not a good liar, Minister Dilan," she remarked.
Hearing that, the calm facade of the Minister dropped in an instant. He abruptly rose from his seat and swiftly pointed at Iria's throat with the knife he used to carry with him all the time!
Elian quickly grabbed the hilt of his sword but one gesture from the Queen was enough to halt him. "Your Majesty!"
"I'm not here for violence," Iria simply said and shifted her gaze back to the Minister of War. "You know my illness, right? Why don't you go ahead and slid my throat? It's not like I'm in a good condition to stop you."
"Do you think I won't dare?" the Minister of War grunted as he pressed the knife closer to the Queen's throat. With the knife slightly cutting her flesh, a trickle of blood made its way out but the Queen sat still.
"I know that you dare," she said. "That's why I'm giving you a chance. It might be your last chance, Minister."
Still pressing the knife against the Queen's throat, Dilan Lorin narrowed his eyes at Iria's right arm. "Do you think it's only fair that you can't use your right hand that much anymore, Your Majesty? After all, that exact hand already end the lives of many people, including my son."
"Don't you think you're being ridiculous?" Iria argued. "Do you think your late son was any better, Minister?" She slightly shook her head and said, "No. He was a General. His hands were stained with the blood of many people too and many of those blood belonged to my soldiers."
"You don't have the right to say that!" the Minister of War grunted. "Do you know that I always loathe you even before you came to Qalagon? You even became the Queen of the kingdom I love with all my heart! That's not right!"
"You're not doing the right thing either," Iria Helev bravely retorted despite the knife that was pressed against her throat. "Your late son was a soldier, Minister. He fought a war against me. Do you know that thousands of soldiers died in each war? You are not the only one who lost a son! Thousands of people lost too.
"What if they all seek revenge as you did? Then the whole world will be filled with revenge!"
Finally, Iria grabbed the hand of the Minister that held the knife. Despite using her left hand, it didn't take her much effort to make him dropped it. Then Elian quickly picked up the knife and the Queen rose from her seat.
"If I killed your son under unfair circumstances or using some trick like a coward, I will get down on my knees and apologize to you. If you're not satisfied with it, I will even offer my life to you," she said in a firm tone and shook her head.
"But that's not the case. He was a soldier and knowing that he could suffer anything, he entered the battlefield. He fought against me by choice and no one forced him. He lost the war and his life but that was the reality, Minister. That's the rule on the battlefield. If you lost, you die."
"You're only trying to justify your action," Dilan Lorin spatted.
Iria shut her eyes and let out a breath, feeling exhausted by the situation. "Then what about all those soldiers of mine that your son killed?" she asked as she opened her eyes.
"Was that right of him? What will you do if the families of the deceased soldiers came to you for revenge? You will say that they are crazy and I'm sure that you won't blame your son for it. You will surely say that he only did his duty as a General but... the same goes for me. I was the Commander of the opposing side at that time. I just gave my all to win."
Finally, the door was opened and Arin Helev walked inside. He wasn't alone. Hanson was with him.
When he saw the King, the Minister of War knew what fate was waiting for him but... he still hung his head low. He loath the Queen but that was purely personal feelings.
He was still devoted to the kingdom and he still respected his King. He never want to cause any harm to Qalagon and how he didn't hurt any of the children proved that. However, his son's presence confused him.
When one thing crossed the Minister's mind, his eyes grew wide and he quickly kneeled before the King. "Your Majesty, my son had no involvement in this matter. He knows nothing about it. I will pay for what I did but Hanson is innocent. Please... he will never betray you!"
"It seems like you know that what you did is the same as betraying me, Minister," the young King pointed out in a surprisingly calm voice. However, when he saw the little blood in Iria's neck, he clenched his fist, almost struggling to maintain his composure.
Then he turned back to the Minister and asked, "Why must you still do it despite knowing that? Did Qalagon mattered less to you than your hatred?"
Arin didn't know why but the pain he felt in his heart right now was much more than the time when he realized that the Minister of War was behind that incident!
The pain of betrayal... it's one of the pain he hated the most!
"I dream for a better Qalagon and you were included in every part of that. I thought that you will be one of the very few people who will help me pave a way, Minister Dilan." He briefly glanced at Hanson and nodded, "You're the father of my best friend and you're always a father figure to me but... how can you do this?"
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