Last King of Kings

Chapter 26: Crucial differences

When Yazdegerd confirmed himself that Bashir and the reincarnate are safe, it was as if stone fell from his heart. Due to his recklessness and short seeing, his whole future was put into a great risk. The stress he accumulated over the course of these two days, when he was waiting for Jalinus, was so great that he wouldn't have lasted much longer. But after the revelation, most of this stress dissipated.

"Bashir! I am glad you are safe. You must be tired, right?"

"My Shahanshah, may he be immortal, that we are. At least I am. I am an old man, after all."

Yazdegerd smiled cunningly at this remark and let them take their leave into the guestrooms they were originally staying in.

"My hazarbed, come with me. We must speak at once."

Yazdegerd called out to Jalinus, who immediately followed, not uttering a single word. Yazdegerd led him into his chambers, where they could be in private. They both sat down and Yazdegerd got right to business. His eyes as if piercing through Jalinus.

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"Was it true? Were they really at a risk of life?"

Jalinus' face went sour, as if being asked about something he truly regretted. Then, he started to talk.

"My Shahanshah, may he be immortal, Bashir and the reincarnate truly were in the danger of death. An arrow most likely aimed at them shot my soldier. Killed him on the spot. They were targeted, but we weren't pursued. That's all I know."

It was brief yet somehow painful. Jalinus must have taken the loss of his soldier very heavily. Maybe he blamed himself. Yazdegerd could understand him. Somehow. He also once felt like that. Responsible for the death of his soldiers. But the feeling inside him soon disappeared. He wondered why. Why did he feel so much responsibility? Why should he? They were his soldiers, after all. "For the Shahanshah and the Empire" and all that grandiose shit. That were his thoughts and his thought processes. Was the power he created for himself starting to get to him? Was he becoming more and more arrogant? Maybe. But he had every right for it. After all, he created this life for himself.

"My hazarbed, did Rostam tell you?"

Although this question was very vague, if Jalinus knew, he would understand it. But he didn't. Yet.

"My Shahanshah, I am afraid he did not."

"I see. Well then, let me enlighten you. Have you ever heard of the reforms of Khosrow I.?"

"I have, my Shahanshah."

"That makes things easier. Passing a reform requires you to have bigger support than you have opposition, as you surely know. But what if you don't have an opposition?"

"Then the reform would be passed easily. But how do you want to achieve that, my Shahanshah?"

"By removing the opposition. But how to do that, my hazarbed?"

Jalinus didn't seem to quite follow, gazing perplexed at his Shahanshah. He was, in vain, searching for an answer, inside his mind. He searched and searched, but his mind wasn't able to find the answer. That was because the answer wasn't in his scope of searching. He never even considered the answer Yazdegerd had for him.

"Let's say they rebel against me. Then I have every right to... punish them, right?"

"My Shahanshah, do you...?"

"Yes. I mean that certain form of punishment. The deadly one."

"My Shahanshah, forgive me, but that's unreasonable? If a civil war was to be ignited, thousands of innocents would die. Wouldn't that be cruel?"

"My hazarbed, I am not the one who judges whether something is cruel or not. I am the one who judges what is necessary and what is not. And this is something necessary. Besides, I'd rather be a cruel victor than a kind loser."

Jalinus wanted to argue but had nothing to do so with. Although Yazdegerd's arguments were sound and reasonable, this was one of the things Jalinus just couldn't bear. And so, he did not want to take any part in it. And Yazdegerd knew this.

"My hazarbed, you will be released of your duty until the civil war is over and delegated under the command of general Bahman Jaduya. There you will defend the border against the Arabs, should they attack. However, I will need your services once again after I win the war."

Yazdegerd was very certain of his victory. He also found this way to be the most plausible one. If he had forced Jalinus to participate in something he deemed to be unjust and cruel, he would only put an emotional and psychological strain on him. And Yazdegerd would need him later. This way, he could ensure his loyalty while still gaining what he wants. Even Jalinus looked like he was happy with this decision.

"My Shahanshah, may he be immortal, I humbly thank you for this. I shall not forget it."

Yazdegerd smiled and gestured Jalinus to go outside. Jalinus nodded, bowed and went away, again without uttering anything. Yazdegerd and him were fundamentally different. While Jalinus valued ideas of justice and righteousness, being an idealist that he is, Yazdegerd had a different look on the world. The look of someone who was just a while ago at a risk of losing everything without being able to do anything. Things were much better now, but Yazdegerd still had much to lose and much to risk. He was a realist, maybe even cynical one. What was justice and righteousness to him, if it didn't help him safe his throne. Why would he care about the common folk, if they weren't the key to victory? These thoughts, swirling through his head more often than ever changed his way of seeing things completely. While Jalinus saw the world as a hazarbed, "he who commands thousands," leader of darigan and The Immortals, Yazdegerd saw the world as a ruler, whose empire is beset by enemies both inside and outside. As someone, who is but a step from doom. As a Shahanshah.