“True, it was a foolish decision, and one made under pressure. I have told Joachim this myself. If the king feels the need to punish his ‘pet monster’ in the first place, then the implication is that the monster did something his master could not control.” Aleksander smiled wryly. Handy figured if he knew enough to find out he was studying magic and had been talking with Joachim so much, then the true nature of the ruse they had been playing this whole time was unlikely to escape him either. He sighed lightly.