Few days later.
Buckingham Palace.
"...Say I believe you, that this mad plan of yours will not cause my country to go up in flames, and that all of it serves the best interests of both worlds... I remain unconvinced as to how this benefits me... Great Britain?"
The Queen of England looked at Maverick with surprising calm, a stark contrast to what he had expected when the details of the operation taking place in the coming month were laid out to her. She did not raise her voice once and spoke throughout in a composed manner, almost as if she had known it was all bound to happen.
In fact, were Maverick not the architect behind it all, he might have come to that conclusion himself, but he knew for certain she was hearing it for the first time. That could only mean she was just that good at controlling her emotions, and she was undoubtedly exceptional at it.
Because although he was not doing anything like reading her mind, her surging emotions were still noticeable to his magical senses. The colors of fear, ambition, greed, and even a faint glimmer of excitement all mixed together like a swirling brew were coming off her in a way even he found difficult to comprehend, how one person could feel all of them at once.
What was this old woman really scheming? He was this close to taking a peek, but in the end, out of respect that she was the ruler of an entire nation, he still chose not to pry into her head.
They were all seated inside a small room within the castle, with maximum confidentiality put in place. Not even her guards were present, well, at least not the non-magical ones.
Beside the Queen sat Maverick's father, Michael, and beside them were the two Great Magi under her employment, while across from them sat Maverick and Minister Greengrass. Plates of food were spread across the table between them, and the meeting Maverick had requested was conducted over a meal, with no complaints there.
For over an hour, Maverick walked her through his plans. He spoke briefly about the series of events that would take place, eventually leading to the action over London, but most of the discussion focused on that last part. After all, to her, the important thing was what countermeasures were in place so that no innocent lives would be at risk.
As for property damage, he gave his word that once everything was over, any scars left on the city would be restored to normal by the Ministry of Magic, and if needed, compensation would also be extended to civilians to quell any unrest, likewise funded by the British magical community.
And it just so happened that the Minister of Magic was there with him as well, to vouch for his words.
There was naturally much that he did not tell her as well, such as the final layers of contingencies, because even among his core people, only a few knew about them.
That said, it was not all smooth talk, like one suggesting and the other agreeing wholeheartedly. This woman, though a muggle, was still the monarch of an entire nation, and an old one at that. Without using magic or other means to force her, getting her to turn a blind eye, and moreover cooperate would certainly not come free.
And sure enough, after Maverick answered all of her sharp questions, the conversation took a completely different turn, from the initial dialogue of persuasion into something closer to negotiation, or more accurately, about sharing of profits.
After all, putting the risks aside, the benefits were just as clear, and for an old fox like her, whose interests lay with an entire country, they would not go unnoticed.
"...I do not believe for a second you are doing this out of the goodness of your heart to benefit all mankind..." the Queen of England said in a flat tone, leaning back as she briefly glanced to her side. "Michael, what say you?"
At her words, the Prime Minister, who also happened to be Maverick's father, cleared his throat. His son had already told him of the operation beforehand, and in fact, in far greater detail than what had just been shared with the Queen, so it was not like he was struggling to digest the bombshell.
Of course, when he first heard it, he was also dumbfounded, but after his son explained everything in vivid detail, he eventually came to an understanding.
However, that was only because it was his own son who was the mastermind and at the helm of the operation that made him believe so quickly. If it had been anyone else, he would not have hesitated to label that person mad on the spot and would have tried his best to stop them in any way possible.
"What Her Majesty is saying, son," Michael said, trying his best to keep a straight face, "since everything is starting from here in Britain, there must be some benefits exclusive to us..."
The Queen was not the only old fox at the table, Michael was no different. He had not risen to the office of Prime Minister, the very peak of the country's politics, by being a kind man or a saint. Maverick did not believe anyone could reach such a position by playing fair and honest all their life, not even his own father.
And rightly so. Michael could already see the scale of what would follow once the two worlds merged, the sheer size of the cake laid out before them. Therefore, as the Prime Minister, it was only natural for him to want the largest slice for the nation he served, was it not?
Michael paused briefly, a thoughtful look crossing his face, before voicing the idea forming in his mind. "For instance, how about establishing the center of this new international magical congress you mentioned, the one that will inevitably form, here in Britain? And as for the markets that will open between the two worlds, we could set up a central headquarters, something akin to the Twin Towers in New York, and have it based here as well..."
"Hmm... I quite like the Prime Minister's proposal..." Jameson Greengrass added from the side, "we could position Britain as a central hub, linking magical communities across the globe with the wider non-magical world. Since integration is the end goal, then political and financial interests will inevitably surge..."
"Hmm. We could make this country the primary exchange point between magical and non-magical goods. Establish control over currency conversion between both worlds, which would naturally draw in foreign investment, trade routes, and magical industries to Britain..." Maverick's father added with a thoughtful hum as well.
In fact, his thinking ran even broader than Greengrass's, and now that they were on the subject, ideas seemed to come to him one after another, enough to make even Maverick raise an impressed brow at his old man.
"Early integration of magic into infrastructure, transport, medicine, and energy would give us a significant societal edge..." he continued, almost absentmindedly, "Britain could become the testing ground for hybrid systems too... in healthcare, science, quality of life, even longevity..."
Holy... where did this shrewd guy pop out from? Is his father possessed? Maverick really felt tempted to pry open his dad's head, he could barely recognize his old man for a moment.
"Those are fair points." The Queen finally chimed in. From the faint smile on her face, it was clear she agreed with everything that had been said. "To summarize, we would much prefer to see ourselves positioned as the face of this new unity..."
Maverick still did not interrupt and let the foxes speak their minds to their heart's content. Actually, he did not mind at all having this country serve as a sort of political leader in the new integrated world of magical and non-magical. At least until the Mars project was finished, it would spare him a few brain cells with everything centered closer to home.
No doubt, as the Queen said, there would be a huge shuffle in politics, both magical and non-magical alike. And not just that, the markets of both worlds would also undergo a massive change because of the integration, and absolutely, like his father and Jameson were trying to say without really spelling it out, those who moved first to take a bite of the benefits would walk away with the biggest slice.
The Queen nodded to Greengrass and Michael, a faint smile forming on her lips, before turning to Maverick again. "I am willing to cooperate, young man. I will allow Michael to work with you fully, grant him the authority to mobilize law enforcement, even the army if necessary, but on the condition that once this is over, Britain becomes the primary trade hub between magical and non-magical markets... At the very least, Britain must hold a significant seat of influence over the international policies of the new world, and not just politically, but financially as well..."
Maverick arched a brow, his finger idly tapping the table in a slow rhythm. This woman had quite the appetite. However, he neither agreed nor shook his head to refuse just yet, the look on the Queen's face telling him more was to come.
Indeed, her expression turned thoughtful for a moment as she said, "...you will also sign a contract with the royal family to ensure the preservation of my line and its continued sovereignty over this country for at least ten more generations..."
But perhaps she felt the discussion had grown too smooth, or that her proposals would all be entertained, that she did not even realize she had just gotten a little carried away.
Or... it could just be Maverick's imagination, and the old monarch was simply masking it for a deeper scheme.
Maverick, however, still did not interrupt. From the corner of his senses, he could tell his father was also not happy with that condition. After all, it was practically asking his son to act as the royal family's personal guard, and even more absurdly, for a whole thousand years. He could accept political maneuvers, but once it became personal, that was crossing a line.
The same went for Lord Greengrass at the side. To him, the Queen was practically insulting his leader by suggesting he watch over her family like some common guard dog. He was ready to slam the table, but Maverick flicked his finger slightly and made both him and his father swallow their words and actions.
He kept a straight face, showing no outward reaction, simply wanting to hear it all first, the full extent of the audacity running through this woman's veins.
And the Queen, seemingly not hearing any objections, and seeing that Maverick himself remained silent, continued, "And finally, I wish to establish a marriage contract..." This time, when she spoke, it was clear her confidence had diminished somewhat, perhaps realizing she herself was crossing a certain boundary...
"You and that girl from the Garling family will, in time, marry and have children. When that happens, whether it be a son or a daughter, I propose that your firstborn be wed into my family—"
Sigh... "Alright, that is quite enough."
Maverick raised his hand and cut her off. Though he did not snap at her, he was very close to turning her into a pig for trying to involve his personal life in this.
"I can agree to do my best to see the first set of conditions through. However, I cannot guarantee the outcome. In the end, those matters will depend on political decisions, and no matter how much influence I exert, I cannot ensure everyone will fall in line. At best, I can push for Britain to establish itself as the financial hub, and once that is in place, much of the rest should follow naturally. Beyond that, we will only know in time..."
He paused, then continued in a flat tone, slightly furrowing his brows. "Your second condition, I must reject. I will not interfere in your royal family's affairs, nor in this country's internal matters. If you wish to remain the ruling class, then I can only suggest you ensure no incompetent heir rises to succession, one who might drive your subjects to rebellion. At best, I can offer to act once in defense of your family's safety should such a situation ever arise."
He expected the Queen to show displeasure when he said that, however, on the contrary, she showed no outward reaction.
Strange...
The Queen sat silently, like before he did, listening with a blank face.
He went on, "And as for your last condition, I am afraid that is entirely unacceptable. I will not, under any circumstances, dictate the course of my future children's lives in such a manner."
A moment of silence, both awkward and uncomfortable, settled into the small room as the monarch and Maverick held each other's gaze, before the Queen finally averted her eyes, exhaling a long breath.
"In that case..." she said, pausing, then surprisingly flashed a smile. "I accept your counteroffer. I shall take you at your word, trusting both my head of government and you, as his son, to do your utmost to establish a financial hub that will connect the magical world to ours through Britain. As for your proposal to act on behalf of my family once, I accept that as well, and will again place my trust in your word. I am certain the word of an archmage is not given lightly."
She then let out another sigh, took off her glasses, and while cleaning them with a napkin, went on, and anyone who did not know her would think she was truly feeling melancholy over something. But clearly, that was not the emotion Maverick was sensing from her.
"...It is unfortunate that you rejected my proposal to bind our lineages by blood so firmly. However, your promise to act once on behalf of my family offers a measure of reassurance, and I accept that as well."
The corner of his eyebrow twitched slightly. That is the second time she has brought it up... Did I... really just get scammed again?
"Hmm... ah, yes," the Queen let out a hum and added one last thing before Maverick could speak. "My final condition is that, should your operation fail, I want no part of it tied to my government. It must be something you carried out, you and the magical community alone. We were not aware of it, and we certainly took no part in it."
"It will not fail..." Lord Greengrass said, leaning forward slightly. He looked like he had a lot to say, but he knew Maverick had stopped him earlier, meaning his leader would rather have him not comment on the personal matters of his.
But since the conversation had returned to politics again, he voiced his thoughts, and certainly not hiding the displeasure in his tone now.
The Queen, however, was not fazed in the slightest. She gave Minister Greengrass a brief glance and a nod, then turned to Maverick again. "Of course..." she said with a faint smile, putting on her glasses, "I also doubt very much that your plan will fail. Given the people involved, unless you, young man, are a fool, it should be a guaranteed success. I only brought it up because I wanted that point cleared." She then glanced to her side. "Michael?"
"Your Majesty speaks correctly. It is indeed best to leave no point unspoken rather than leave it to chance." Michael also did not sound as cheerful as he did before, and anyone could tell. Clearly, he was not happy with the earlier matter too, but now that it had been cleared, there was no point in addressing it.
Only Maverick had this strange feeling that he had just been played by this old woman somehow... though he could not quite tell.
"Very well then... here is to a happy cooperation..." he finally said with a skeptical look, raising the glass in front of him.
The Queen, however, chuckled at his expression and raised her glass as well.
"Happy cooperation, then, young man."
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Author's Note:
🔥 Drop those Power Stones! 🔥
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