Are You Worthy? [Past-Mathias and Kiku]

[Kiku Honda]

Kiku Honda was nothing if not practical. His kingdom (and his King) were still reeling from the attack on the Vargas family. That anyone would dare to assault the home of the future Jack was unheard of, unfathomable until it happened. And with Feliciano lingering in the twilight between life and death, the very real question became, what to do next? Ludwig had wanted to wait, was sure that his friend would survive and take his destined title, but Kiku knew better. As much as seeing his childhood friend mutilated and helpless on the bed tore at Kiku, he had to think about the good of the Kingdom. The Kingdom needed a Jack, was vulnerable every day that the position remained vacant. Kiku’s King was vulnerable. And he had made a vow to protect the King, no matter what the cost. And no matter what the King thought, Kiku knew the truth, even if Feliciano ever woke up, he’d be in no condition to lead the military at that point. To be honest, Kiku wasn’t sure if he ever would. And so he did what had to be done.

It hadn’t been easy, even though Kiku knew what needed to be done, he still felt that he was betraying Feliciano. Next to Ludwig, Feliciano was his dearest friend. They had been together, all three of them, for years and Kiku thought of the two as family, far more so than those he was actually related to. To take away his title while Feliciano wasn’t even conscious felt especially low. But what choice did they have? The Kingdom had to keep moving forwards, the King had to rule. Kiku, Feliciano, how could they compare to the needs of their people?

And so he was here, staring at the office that should have belonged to his friend, but instead belonged to a stranger. A stranger from another land, no less. Kiku was all too aware of the rumors, whispered in what they thought was privacy (funny how so few of the nobility seemed to even notice Kiku anymore.) Kiku had read over the files of all potential Jacks, during his long vigils in the King’s bedchambers. Mathias Kolher certainly seemed like an unconventional choice, though he had clear talent, his role as an outsider, and behavior certainly seemed to raise a few eyebrows. Kiku himself wasn’t sure how he felt about the appointment, but it was Ludwig’s decision, not his. And if he couldn’t give a valid reason for Mathias to be chosen, he knew he couldn’t raise an objection—his place was to protect the King, not make his decisions for him. So all he could do now was to find out whether this new Jack would be a help or hindrance to him. He wasn’t interested in rumors, putting more stock in what he could hear with his own ears, to see with his own eyes.

Smoothing out his uniform, Kiku took a deep breath and knocked on the door to announce his presence before stepping inside. He had been assured that Matthias would be in his office and would be free to talk. Kiku didn’t like being away from his King for too long and so had little time to sit and wait for anyone. Sure enough, he caught sight of the man as soon as he entered. It was hard to miss that strange unruly blonde hair and that ever-present smile. He certainly had a flamboyant personality, it would be hard to ignore this man, his energy seemed to fill the room. In contrast, Kiku was dark in coloration and somber in disposition, composed and consistent, but easily forgotten. It was fine like that. The Jack was meant to be in the spotlight, to lead the Royal Guard, to discourage any would be attacks on the King before they were even thought of. The Esquire was meant to be the last line of defense, the final defense, the less that anyone knew about him, the less they could use to defeat him.

But it would take a great deal more than confidence and charisma to make a true Jack. Kiku had to know just how far he could trust this man with the safety of his King. Not that he could overturn Mathias’ appointment if he didn’t like what he’d found, but he’d learned a long time ago that there are always ways to work around things he cannot change. He just hoped this situation wouldn’t require that.

Kiku bowed deeply, before return back to attention, his back straight and his head held high. He looked every bit the warrior he was, complete with the ever-present blades tied to his waist. No smile graced his lips as he met Mathias’ gaze, and his eyes never flinched, never betrayed the slightest emotion.

“Sir Kolher. My name is Kiku Honda. I am the Esquire of the Body to our King.” He gave another slight bow before continuing. “I wanted to take the time to introduce myself properly, now that you have officially taken on the responsibility of Jack. I hope that we can work together for the good of the Red Kingdom.”


{Mathias Kolher }

[Mathias Kolher]

Mathias could only hope his parents were proud of him. It had been years since they had seen him, years since he had joined the guard against their wished and moved away from the home they had created on the edge of the kingdom, as far away as they could get from clubs territory. He understood their reasoning, but he felt the need to give back to the Kingdom that had given him so much, had given him a home. He was proud of himself, proud and nervous as he could be. He worked hard in the guard, did his duties as best as he could to stay professional, but he knew when his friends needed a bit of relief from the strain and tried to make them laugh. And as for nervous? This role had added responsibilities that he never had before. There was no way he was going to let himself mess this up; he just had to figure out a few details, and more if he needed to drop what he had been doing.

Mathias knew his always smiling persona wasn't fake, just over exaggerated. When his dad taught him to fight, he gave him one piece of advice, never let the enemy know what you're thinking. And that had worked out well until now, but with the change in rank, there was the concern that different tactics would have to be used. The only thing though, was who should he talk to? Or should he talk to anyone at all? This matter might be best figured out himself. He knew that the lower guard wouldn't have answers for him and that he couldn't talk to the king. ... so it was best to play it by ear.

Sighing to himself, he moved to straighten the few things he had in his office, trying to make sure it looked efficient and professional. He didn't need people thinking he wasn't right for the job or couldn't protect the king the way he needed to. Hearing a knock on his door, he turned around, a smile on his face, he wasn't expecting visitors, but best to welcome them the best way he knew how.

"Come in"

And that's just what the man did, entered into his office with swords on his waist. He was used to people being armed, but... he had a feeling this man was armed to the teeth and not someone to be messed with. It was people like this that Mathias knew he had to be careful of, to try to make his friend….and in this situation… honesty was the best policy.

“Sir Kolher. My name is Kiku Honda. I am the Esquire of the Body to our King. I wanted to take the time to introduce myself properly, now that you have officially taken on the responsibility of Jack. I hope that we can work together for the good of the Red Kingdom.”

Raising an eyebrow at that, he quickly smoothed away the look before smiling again, bowing in return to the other man’s bow. He gestured to a seat for the man to take before leaning against his desk. So polite and formal, he didn’t remember this man… but then again, that was the point of the Esquire of the body, to stay hidden and out of the way, to be the forgotten protection. He looked down on his desk and there it was, the next file on the castle staff that he was going to read. Perhaps it was a good thing that this man had stopped in when he did, let him get a firsthand impression rather than one by paper. This was sure to be interesting no matter how it went down… he only hoped they were able to work together and that he wouldn’t have to watch out for those swords coming after him in the dark if the man found him lacking the proper caliber for this position.

“Good to meet you Sir Honda. I trust that you have found most matters to your approval? I’ll do my best for the Red Kingdom, it has given me a lot so I want to give it a lot back, thank it for the kindness it has shown me.”

He nodded and just continued to watch him, he wouldn’t turn his back on this man yet, it would be too easy for something to ‘accidentally’ happen if that was his real reason here. He knew that people were not pleased with his appointment, but he didn’t know how far up the ranks that went. Who to trust and not trust was a tricky situation this day and he didn’t want to end up face down on the floor due to a small slip in judgement.

“Is this all you wished to discuses, after all, we could have had this conversation quickly during dinner, where as you would have drawn less attention to yourself by doing that instead of making your way to my door where castle staff see everything… even you must know that… unless it’s not a secret that you came to see me….”

And he turned his head to the side, a smirk crossing his face before smiling again. “It be nice to have an ally here… if so, you can call me Mathias, sir Kolher always reminds me of someone much older than myself.”

[Kiku Honda]

Kiku straightened almost imperceptibly, his eyes boring into the azure eyes of this new Jack. There was something about them that put him off, some indefinable disconnect between those eyes and that smile. Something didn’t make sense, and Kiku wasn’t about to let that disconnect go. He was determined to learn what was hiding behind those eyes, that smile. If Mathias was going to be trusted with the King’s safety, Kiku had to know more than what the man was presenting to the outside world.

“Is this all you wished to discuses, after all, we could have had this conversation quickly during dinner, where as you would have drawn less attention to yourself by doing that instead of making your way to my door where castle staff see everything… even you must know that… unless it’s not a secret that you came to see me….”

Kiku’s eyes narrowed at Mathias’ words, trying to determine the meaning behind it. Just what did the new Jack think was happening here?

“Why would it be necessary to hide our meetings?” He asked, tilting his head. “I have no reason to be covert in meeting our new Jack, to assess your dedication to our King. There is nothing in my actions to draw attention... is there any reason to question yours?” There was no accusation in his tone, rather he adopted a manor of simple curiosity. He rested his hand on the hilt of his blade, not as a gesture of intimidation; it was more of a habit. Never let yourself be caught off guard.

“I want you to understand. I have dedicated my life to the Red King. His health and well-being. I do not take this lightly and so I will take my time to evaluate you carefully. If you are not the man I believe you to be, I will do what I have to rectify the situation.” He paused and looked over the man once more. “Most think you are young, impetuous, and unable to take this job seriously. They believe that the King made a mistake in appointing an outsider like you.”

Yes, he was being talkative, far more talkative than usual. But, as with everything he did, there was a motive behind his action. There was little doubt that Mathias was aware of the whispers that swirled around his appointment. But Kiku wanted to hear how Mathias would react to such words, how well his composure stood up to attack. Kiku didn’t put much stock in the words of others, but he did believe those words could help him unravel the enigma that was Sir Mathias Kohler.

[Mathias Kolher]

“Why would it be necessary to hide our meetings? I have no reason to be covert in meeting our new Jack, to assess your dedication to our King. There is nothing in my actions to draw attention... is there any reason to question yours?”

Mathias could think of many reasons why the Esquire would want to hide this meeting; assassination attempts being one, but with a man of his own caliber, that wouldn't be silent either. He doubted the Kings forces would do that, but it was best to check every angle that he could, at least until it was sure. The last attack on the Vargas family had seemed random, but Mathias knew to keep a watch on his own back, at least until he knew for sure he could trust these people.

"I don't have any reasons, I just couldn't figure out why you'd want to see me in private.”

Oh he could think of plenty of reasons, good and bad. Currently though, this was not going how he wanted it to. For some reason his thoughts weren't making connections like they should when it came to this man. He would have to fix that before they met again, he couldn't be off his game when it came to protection of the king, no matter from the source of the attack or distraction.

“I want you to understand. I have dedicated my life to the Red King. His health and well-being. I do not take this lightly and so I will take my time to evaluate you carefully. If you are not the man I believe you to be, I will do what I have to rectify the situation. Most think you are young, impetuous, and unable to take this job seriously. They believe that the King made a mistake in appointing an outsider like you.”

“And is that how you feel?”

There was no reason to move where he was standing. He wouldn’t fidget or anything else that would show how he felt, but he did release a sigh, letting a little bit out for the man to see. It was different, he knew he would have to trust this man, even a bit more than he had been so they could start working together as a team. It was hard for Mathias, being the outsider, especially since it seemed like he trusted a lot of things here. But he just half smiled, showing that he did realize what was being said… it wasn’t a happy smile, nor was it sad.

“I am young, yes. And I was an outsider. But I have lived in Hearts for many years, I have dedicated my life to protecting it. Clubs has no loyalty to me, only Hearts has my own. It saved me and my family from things I cannot recall during waking hours. I wish to pay it back the best way I know how; and if that requires that I give my life so that the Red Royalty may live, then so be it. If they think I’m impetuous, then good, that is exactly what they should think. After all, why take extra care with someone you think is an idiot? Let them come at me and they’ll learn through pain exactly why I earned the Jack position despite how outer actions seem.”

Mathias wondered if he had spilled too much, more than he initially wanted to… but in this case, it was probably a good thing considering he had to work closely with this man, to organize the rest of the guards. He wondered if he could get Kiku to help him with a few of the tasks he wanted to do to ensure that the best protections were present. There was only a few ways to find out though, but that would be for a later time.

“I don’t care what many say honestly, they don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it. I might look like a fool going to the kitchens and chatting up the workers, but I’m analyzing weak points in the security, how easy it would be to get past that many people during the chaos of mealtime. Why it seems like I’m just enjoying a stroll around the gardens or around the outside of the castle… how easy would it be to jump the wall and make way inside without running into sentries…. Or worse… how much the sentries aren’t paying attention, how likely it is they’ll fall to an attack before they can raise an alarm. How vulnerable is this castle? I act the idiot so I don’t frighten anyone into fearing things they don’t need to. I should be the paranoid one. Let the courtier’s whisper how bad I am at being Jack, my work is not for their approval… the more they don’t see me doing my work, the better I am at doing it. I hope this had made my position, my actions, my goals and my hopes for this castle and this kingdom clear, Sir Honda.”

[Kiku Honda]

Respect was something that Kiku Honda put a great deal of importance in. And though he was polite to nearly everyone, there were few that he truly respected. The King and their mutual childhood friend… the sturdy and authoritative Ace who commanded their military… those men had earned his respect, and thus his loyalty. It was not an easy task to be one of those that the Esquire admired.

Mathias wasn’t there yet, but he was off to a strong start. Kiku listened to the man, face expressionless as Mathias explained his actions. Despite his appearance and demeanor, the man clearly took his job seriously, even going so far as to use others’ preconceived notions of him to operate without suspicion. Kiku understood the tactic well, it was one he often employed himself. The easiest way to exploit a person’s blindspot is to manufacture it yourself. To think that Mathias had such a plan in place.

He sat still for a moment, sizing up the man with a flat gaze. He appeared to be earnest, dedicated to the duty for which he had been chosen. An ever so slight smile tugged on his lips. Ludwig had been right in his selection of Mathias, if someone had to replace Feliciano, there were certainly worse candidates out there.

Did he trust Mathias? No. Not yet, not completely. But the man had spoken well, and as long as he could back up his oration with action, Kiku could hopefully count him as an ally. He got to his feet once more.

“I do not put much stock in the words of others, Ser Mathias. Rumors may be valuable, but rarely do they capture the whole truth of a matter. And while I must admit, your speech was impressive, I do not put my faith in your words either. Not until they are verified by your actions.” He paused, looking around the room before extending his hand out to the man. “I do not trust easily, there’s too much at stake for my judgment to be so careless. But I have to admit, you seem like someone I’d like to be able to rely on. If you are willing, I believe that we could be quite a team. Are you willing to build a mutual trust with me?”

This was just the first step. Kiku was all too aware of that. But if he wanted to keep Ludwig safe, it was a step they needed to take.

[Mathias Kolher]

He had said his peace and now all he could do was stand there and not back down from this man. He still felt like he was being measured on some invisible, intangible scale that only the owner of such a thing knew how to read. This man, this Kiku Honda, was a mystery to him. He could tell right now that he would never be able to read him, to get a feel for him. And if anything were to present himself, it would more than likely be something that the man wanted him to see or to think. He trusted the man with the safety of the kingdom, but he didn’t know if they would ever be friends. He hoped so, but it was only something that time would tell.

“I do not put much stock in the words of others, Ser Mathias. Rumors may be valuable, but rarely do they capture the whole truth of a matter. And while I must admit, your speech was impressive, I do not put my faith in your words either. Not until they are verified by your actions. I do not trust easily, there’s too much at stake for my judgment to be so careless. But I have to admit, you seem like someone I’d like to be able to rely on. If you are willing, I believe that we could be quite a team. Are you willing to build a mutual trust with me?”

Mathias could only smile at hearing thee words. He agreed with them and he would take no fault in the fact that he wasn’t trust yet. He had done nothing to really prove it. He didn’t know how to prove it, but he would just do the job the best that he could. He took the man’s hand and gave it a light squeeze before shaking it.

“Take your time in forming your opinion on me, I know what kind of responsibility lies on your shoulders. I take no offense at your words, and I might feel a little wary if you had said otherwise. So yes, I am willing to build a mutual trust with you. I want to be able for us to eventually work together to protect the King and Kingdom the best that we know how.”

He let go of Kiku’s hand and looked around for a bit before shrugging and relaxing against his desk more, letting down his guard with this man. If they were to build a mutual trust, then he would be the first one to let down his guard, to show that he trusted him. But he also had a small favor to ask, one that he hoped would show that he was willing to learn from those who knew more about the Kingdom and the way of the politics that he would have to entwine himself with.

“I do have one favor to ask and a question… or however you want to put it. You have been in your position for a long time… have been raised into it such as Sir Vargas before me and the Ace and the King…. Could you perhaps, over time, educate me on the proper protocol so I don’t put myself in a position where I embarrass the court and cause problems without meaning too? Also, I have an idea I’d like to check out, but… I’m too bulky, too noticeable really to pull it off. I’d like your opinion on it and perhaps your help.”

He picked up Kiku’s file behind him and started looking through it, it verified that he had the right idea that this is who he should ask these things. For one that fit into the shadows knew more, saw more than most and would be the most help in both these situations.