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Murdoc, Petrie, Wallace, and Amara had dressed in their family’s colors, and worn their kilts for their first meeting with the Southern King and court. When Skye had asked them about it, Amara had explained that they wanted to make their pride for their people and homeland as plain as day..

“Wearin’ these’ll cut hours of pointless attempts at negotiations out. Never ye mind it,” Amara had replied.

The discussion that Murdoc and Magnus had in front of everyone seemed to have gone well, but only to those that didn’t know their temperaments and tells. Both Tidas and Petrie had caught on to the hidden tension building up in the air between them. They had expected something akin to it to happen, but Tidas had personally hoped that they wouldn’t butt heads until after the signing..

Murdoc had ever-so-subtly called Marco a psycho, and Magnus didn’t like it one bit. He had asked the Highlander King if he had any children, which Murdoc had said that Petrie was like a son to him.

Magnus liked Petrie, and had told a quick story about how he had preformed in the Summer Games the previous year. Murdoc was genuinely enjoying himself until Magnus casually mentioned that Marco was the champion again this year.

Murdoc had unintentionally scoffed, knowing the full details from Tidas how he had really won last year’s games. Magnus had shot him a look that Murdoc wasn’t used to receiving from anyone that didn’t say something stupid afterwards.. Which Magnus did.

With a crinkled nose, Magnus stated; “Well, you can’t blame anyone for losing against my oldest. There’s a reason he’s to be the next king.”

“...Aye. Perhaps I’ll get ta see a reason fer it durin’ our stay.”

.....

Murdoc’s accent was thick and unfamiliar to most, so the majority of people didn’t catch his meaning. Only his own people, the MacArthurs, and Skye could understand him. She was too busy entertaining her niece, nephew, and Marie to hear all of it, but had caught enough to know to ask Tidas about it later.

Magnus, Marco, Lawrence, Tidas, Marie, and the four Highlanders broke away to go talk in Magnus’ private chambers. Skye took off to play with the children for a little bit before going for a shower. Karena didn’t care to hear the politics involving the north, so she left with her bodyguard to go cause trouble elsewhere.

As they walked down the hallway, Murdoc thought about all of the information that Petrie and his spies had gathered on the southern royal family. Magnus seemed too easily influenced by his oldest son, which bothered Murdoc greatly. Tidas had told him many stories and instances that made Murdoc question Marco’s decency.

Lawrence was a good and just man, according to his outside sources, but the oldest MacArthur was different in many ways. Marco’s stances on various political issues made him loved by his nobles, but resented by anyone lower in station; especially the soldiers and their families..

Magnus’ father had stripped the soldiers of all benefits, aside from their pay during his reign. While Magnus had increased their pay during his, most of the soldiers still had to have another worker in their family to still be able to support themselves.

Only the high-ranking officers got to keep their medical coverage and retirement funding. The rest of the military was cut off from complete healthcare once they returned home. Tidas had tried to get their benefits reinstated, but Marco had refused for the same reason that their grandfather had rescinded them in the first place: cost.

It was a never ending expense, and not one that Marco felt responsible for. Tidas had become furious, considering they were the ones who decided when and where the soldiers went to war.. ‘He’ll send them off to to die, but not give two shits if they come back alive..’

That wasn’t the only thing that infuriated Tidas about the differences in treatment between the social classes..

The other nobles got ‘bonuses’ from Marco often, just because they owned the land that the soldiers came from. He would use tax money to pay off the nobles, which was mainly collected from the common folk. Marco also gave tax cuts to nobles that ‘contributed a specific percentage to the defense of the kingdom’.

Magnus approved the cuts because Marco would tell him how badly they needed the nobles’ influence and businesses. He didn’t want to risk them going to another kingdom, so he gave them ‘special incentives’ to keep them. The burden of cost generally carried over to the people, which kept most of the populace living paycheck to paycheck, and dependent upon the broken system just to survive.

If not for Tidas’ schools, the people would also be uneducated in anything that they didn’t learn from their families. Many were part of a trade, or worked as laborers, but didn’t want that to be all there was for their children. A few had tried to create protests about their civil conditions, but were shut down and labeled as traitors.

After that, no one was willing to risk it without a substantial backer that the future king couldn’t silence: like Tidas.

If Marco or Magnus tried to jail Tidas for nearly any reason: the entire kingdom would riot. He was a saint to them, and was the only royal since Tiberius who genuinely cared for his people, as far as they were concerned. Magnus was a fair ruler, but they couldn’t forgive what he let Marco get away with, or that he was still going to be the next King of Alcon.

Tidas would walk, talk, and socialize with even the so-called ‘dregs of society’. He gave their children an education, and had also personally established shelters and free clinics; earning the love and respect of the people.

Skye’s generosity was another reason that they felt Tidas was the better choice for a ruler. She healed free of charge, which was nearing a tipping point for a few of the regular doctors. They had made a good life for themselves off of the backs of the sick and dying..

Not all of the doctors were out to make a fortune, but the majority of the ones within the capital were. Their prices were Far higher than any other doctor’s rates outside of the city. They blamed Skye for causing an inflation in their prices, but the truth of it was that they simply didn’t want a smaller profit.

Had they lowered the cost of their services and goods, not as many would’ve had to move out of the capital. Many of them had refused to cut down on their lavish lifestyles, and figured that they’d be able to make more money outside of the capital.

They had been wrong, and most had returned to the capital while Skye and Tidas were away in the Highlands. The people didn’t want to deal with outrageous prices anymore, and had asked Zas and Shasta to speak to the king on their behalf. But without Tidas there to champion their cause: they had failed.

The issues were beginning to subside as word of their return spread across the kingdom, but it left many with concerning questions: especially Murdoc.. ‘If they care so little about their own people, what do they think of us?’

As the large group filed into the beautiful room, servants scurried back and forth with trays of cups and plates. Magnus had ordered food and drinks brought to his quarters for his guests, and had immediately asked for a whiskey as he’d entered.

The discussion was going to be long and draining: Magnus just knew it.. ‘I should’ve expected as much, considering how highly Tidas spoke of him.. Of course he’s going to be difficult..’

Murdoc took the mug offered to him, then passed it off to Wallace. He took a small sip, waited a few moments, then handed the cup back to his king. If there was poison in it, then Wallace would’ve known. He was an expert in poisons, and knew about almost every type there was.

As soon as it was in his hand, Murdoc knocked it back, then asked for another. He had a list of things to cover long before the treaty would be signed, and he could already tell that Magnus was going to be a hard sell. As he contemplated on where to start, the tension in the room built to near-smothering levels.

Tidas gritted his teeth as he took slow, deep breaths to stay calm. Petrie stood next to him and muttered something, but Tidas was too preoccupied with his father and Murdoc. He wasn’t even paying attention to Lawrence, who had been talking to him on and off since they entered the room.

It was mostly how excited he was for his wedding, and other things that pertained to it. When he saw the serious expression on his brother’s face, Lawrence decided to hold off until the meeting was done. As he watched his brother, Law finally noticed the tension between his father and the Highlander King.

Tidas’ thoughts were chaotic.. ‘If these two start fighting, will the treaty still be signed? Why is Murdoc so up-in-arms about our oldest brother Now?! Shouldn’t he have talked to me about this before we got here?!’

As Tidas inwardly railed, Murdoc could feel the agitation rolling off of him. Truth be told, he didn’t brooch the subject because Tidas couldn’t answer the questions he had: only Magnus could answer. Things about not only their peace pact, but about the future of Alcon in general.. And Skye.

Amara and Marie were the only ones happily talking. They had quite a bit in common, and Amara knew of Marie from Skye, so she knew what subjects to bring up with her. They were discussing something about Tiberius’ reign when Murdoc cleared his throat much louder than necessary.

He stood in the middle of the room with a raised shot glass in his hand. After looking squarely at Magnus, Murdoc motioned for him to join him for a toast. After a few pleasantries, Murdoc knocked back another shot, set his glass down, then locked resolved eyes with Magnus..

“I couldna be more excited ta finally put an end ta all of the violence between our people, but there’s a number of things which I’d like ta discuss before signin’ the treaty.. And there’s one last thing I’d like ta say..”

Murdoc turned towards Marco with a straight face, but an honest threat in his eyes as he said; “I don’t like you, and I dinna plan ta hold the treaty wit ya when yer Da passes in the future..”