The switch

The meeting

The tension was thick in the room. The 10 men sitting around the table remained quiet as their leaders glared at each other. At last, one of them spoke.

"I believe we can all agree that the war can not continue like this. My goal is territory. Yours is wealth. I truly think we can come to an arrangement and stop this bloodbath."

The other brought a hand to his chin and lightly tapped it, as if deep in thought.

"We've tried peace before. Didn't work out too well did it? Especially for you. If I recall correctly you lost your-"

A loud bang resonated through the room, making a few of the bodyguards nearly draw their guns. Mark had slammed his hands down on the table, as if to call for silence.

"Do not. Finish. That sentence Lewis." He said, his voice dripping with hatred and anger.

Lewis smirked and raised his hands in a surrender symbol. "Now, now. No need for to get our voices raised. This is a political meeting after all. What kind of men would we be to cause a scene at a political meeting?" His tone sounded fake and sarcastic and was dripping with mockery.

"Watch yourself, Lewis. I will not tolerate your attitude simply because of a trous." Mark answered.

"I believe we've gotten off topic. You want peace. I want peace. Problem is, I don't trust you to back down and you don't trust me to back down. So! Question is, how do we come to an arrangement when we both know the other will stab us in the back first given opportunity?"

Mark leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "During the wars of the Middle Ages, Kings would often be confronted to our problem. How to end a war that has caused so much conflict?"

Lewis raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "And what would that little history episode have to do with this?"

Mark brought his gaze back to him and sighed. "Their solution was to unify the two parties with a marriage. With this procedure, it was impossible to attack the opposing party without endangering their own."

Lewis stared at him for a second before bursting out laughing. The sounds resonated in the silence until they fell quiet. "You're serious." It was more of a question than a statement. "You want our kids to.. what.. get married? Live happily ever after? Buy a castle and give us cute little grandkids?" He would have continued but another fit of laughter hit him.

"It would be the simplest solution." Mark continued after Lewis had come down from his hilarity. "It would end this in less than a week. This war has been going on for over a decade and has taken so much from both of us. We can stop it now."

Lewis' smile dropped and he suddenly went completely still. "You really think I'd allow any of my offsprings to marry scum like you?"

Mask rolled his eyes and leaned forward. "Let's not pretend you actually care about any of them. Your reputation as a crime lord is popular, Lewis, but so if the one about your parenting techniques. So you loose one kid? You'll still have two. I'll arrange the ceremony and make sure mine understands the consequences of his disobedience."

Lewis raised his eyes and looked at the high ceiling, like he was looking up to god for answers. "Imagining that I agreed to this, have you already chosen which one of your boys?"

Mark nodded slowly.

Lewis' lips turned into a wide smile. "Alright then. Here are my conditions. The marriage happens and the war stops. We unify our gangs and make this city ours. You let me rob on your land and I let you invest on mine. Sound good?"

Mark extended his hand across the table. "Sounds good."

Lewis's smile grew bigger as he gripped the hand firmly and sealed their deal. "Let's go inform the futur spouses."