Royal Spymaster

> *"You manage the streets, I manage the alleyways."*
>
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## Storyline

The Listener, royal ruler of Runika, is enjoying a peaceful evening walk in the garden when their Royal Spymaster sneaks up and greets them . He is sorry to interrupt their private time but he has important news; approaching them under the cover of night is the best way to protect his identity and their reputation. To make up for the inconvenience he gives them a gift, a music box, purchased from a pet project in the market.

He has received word through his web that an assassin has come to the city and their target is the kingdom's ruler. Unfortunately their identity is unknown and the Winter's Crest Ball is coming up. He predicts that the assassin will strike there since there will be guests from all over the continent and minimum security. He asks permission to scatter a few of his "eyes and ears" throughout the ball to increase the chances of catching the assassin. If they are caught then he will personally interrogate them - out of sight of course - and enjoy doing so.

The Listener appears to agree and asks who sent the assassin but the spymaster, frustrated, replies that he doesn't know. He promises to tell his liege know as soon as he has that information. He informs them that he will be attending the ball personally to provide extra security using his alias the noble Lord Hyme, an identity he's used before. He flirts with the Listener a little, asking them to save the loyal Lord Hyme a dance if they would be so kind, before bidding them a good night, reassuring them that their spymaster will always have his eye on them.

On the night of the ball everything starts off well, especially when Lord Hyme is announced to the Listener. After the usual compliments, they are left alone to have a private conversation where he assures his monarch that his spiders are strewn throughout the ball for their safety. He asks for a dance and they allow it so their conversation continues on the dance floor.

As they dance, he praises the Listener on how well they've ruled the country since the death of the last queen and through tough times but warns that they have two qualities that might be their downfall. Their short-sightedness has allowed his spies to attend the ball as security but they are loyal to him. The spymaster informs his monarch that they will leave with him and if they resist his spiders will cause a ruckus. The Listener tries to call out but he shushes them, reminding them that they have commoners in attendance - by his request - who will be vulnerable. He offers them the chance to call out and the Listener does nothing, proving that their kindness is also a trait of a weak ruler.

The spymaster tells the Listener of his plans. They will leave with via a private carriage that will bring them to Lord Hyme's country estate. After a few days they will marry, their whirlwind romance exciting the people, but a tragic accident will leave Lord Hyme to rule the country in their place. The two of them finish their dance with no more secrets between them.

The Listener is still being held captive by Lord Hyme at his estate . He asks how they are how finding his more meager properties and informs them that he has tweaked his plans. Instead of a whirlwhind romance ending in a tragic accident, leaving him king, he and his cohorts have decided that the ruler of Runika perishing from a sudden illness would be less suspicious. The Listener seems to mock him for having any friends at all and he suggests that these friends are nobles from their own court who have been plotting against the throne since the reign of the previous queen.

The Spymaster gives his monarch the agenda for the day, which includes a wedding rehearsal. The Listener protests they can't be forced into a wedding but Lord Hyme says he still has leverage to make sure they behave, though he doesn't expand on what that could be. Instead, he talks about his plans to bring an industrial revolution to Runika, ending an age of magic and mysticism and turning the city-country into a weapon, breaking Runika's traditional neutrality in the region. He mocks the Listener for being too short-sighted and trusting as a ruler; had they been smarter he would have considered marrying them for real.

There seems to be no chance for the Listener to escape. Lord Hyme has ensured the family cleric conducting the ceremony will ignore any "histrionics" that might happen and the private wedding will take place on his family estate. He tells his "beloved" to join him in the dining hall or expect some consequences.

Lord Hyme has not appeared in any audios since but the "regent of Runika" and the transition of Runika to a technologically advanced society has been mentioned by other characters since.This suggests that his plan to take the throne succeeded. The Listener's final fate has not been brought up yet if at all.

* Runika has built a ship run by engines and magic.
* Runika has begun another arcane purge that is being sabotaged by the Order of Occult Phenomenon.
* Runika exports "vox machines", a device that can play music.

## Personality

The Royal Spymaster is soft-spoken, mysterious, and somehow blunt and deceptive at the same time. He works in secret for the good of the kingdom, intercepting assassins and ensuring the security of the reigning monarch through clandestine means. He runs a spy network of "eyes and ears" and a web of informants ("flies") to bring him news. He equates the safety of his liege with the economic stability of the kingdom, two things he considers paramount. He very much enjoys his work, even the darker side of it, and will do hands-on work himself to make sure the kingdom and its ruler are safe. In the second audio we learn that he is duplicitous and treasonous as well, using his position to manipulate events that will allow him to kidnap the monarch as Lord Hyme.

He appears to know his monarch very well, maybe even personally. Not only is it his job to know where they are at all times, he trusts them enough to speak openly to them of his plans and machinations. He has no issues flirting with them and his dialogue implies that they've met privately before for official reasons and otherwise. When he's acting as Lord Hyme he can also interact with his monarch in a way he can't as their spymaster, something he seems happy to take advantage of. He admired them for their cleverness but later audios reveal that he finds the Listener to be too short-sighted and trusting of the court to be an effective ruler.

## Trivia

### Royal Spymaster

* Likes spiders and gold.
* Used to be an assassin before becoming the Royal Spymaster of Runika.
* He has his eye on a young artisan in the market who makes music boxes; he suspects he's a noble's illegitimate heir and could be in the royal succession if a few accidents are arranged.
* Was the Royal Spymaster of the previous ruler, a queen.
* Part of a conspiracy against the throne with an unknown number of nobles.

### The Listener

This list is in addition to those in the articles of the Loyal Knight and Motiere.

* The ruler of Runika who has trouble sleeping.
* Their favorite flower (pollenbloom?) blooms during the winter season and comes from the southern dukedoms.
* They are the successor to the late queen - the "false queen". They have ruled throughout tough times and the Spymaster calls them cunning, brave, and a person who can make tough decisions. They are ruthless enough that the spymaster knows they have few qualms if the nobility get hurt but they consider the safety of commoners more important than their own.
* Has a "devilish wit" with a tongue to match.
* Might not actually be dead…

### Fan Theories

* The Listener in this is NOT the "false queen" that Pharos speaks of - **CONFIRMED**
	+ Hollow works hard to ensure every video is gender neutral and the Spymaster only refers to the Listener as highness, monarch, ruler, or liege. This might take place before the Mad Emperor's reign and fall.

* ~~The Listener in this IS the "false queen" that Pharos speaks of.~~
	+ ~~The title of "queen" in Runika is traditional so the ruler is always a queen regardless of their gender.~~
	+ ~~We learn in the Loyal Knight's audio that this might take place after the ***Arrogant Prince*** arc. This is also taking place at the same time as the ***Arcane Academy*** series - maybe.~~

* Lord Hyme is the man who established the colony in the Leshen's territory in Zetria.

## Audio References

All audios can be found in the ***The Spymaster's Gambit*** playlist here.

1. ↑ A Night With Your Royal Spymaster
2. ↑ Kidnapped At The Grand Ball
3. ↑ Captured By Your Spymaster
4. ↑ Captured By A Handsome Pirate!
5. ↑ [Your Loyal Knight Prepares You For The Ball
6. ↑ Eccentric Tailor Measures You
7. ↑ A Dance With a Fallen Prince