The male answered him honestly and intelligently, integrity coloring his choice of words. As surmised, this packmate had strong morals, strengthened no doubt by the past he had alluded to. Jacquez had greeted him at the borders that morning, accepting him - Vigilante, that was his name! - without asking what his talents or background consisted of. The memory was hazy at best, corroded from the nights of binge drinking that followed it, but he could recall some question of their pack structure... Whether or not it was possible to live like a "normal" canine, or... what had he said? Some question about being ordered against his will...
Jacquez had no intention of ordering him now -- if normalcy meant maintaining his low profile, then Vigi was welcome to turn down the promotion (at the risk of offending the king). But surely being in control meant that no one could ever force him again, right? And on the flipside, having been pushed around in his past meant he would be more sympathetic to those he would be in control of, less likely to abuse the position... That sounded like a good thing to have around. Jacquez wasn't about to pretend that he was upstanding or sympathetic to anyone's plight other than his own -- it just made sense to placate his followers with a noble who actually might listen to their problems rather than blow them off.
"Ruri is my second in command now," he explained curtly, although it didn't really answer Vigilante's real inquiry - why him? "Our leadership has three good arms and two good eyes; we show a weak front, to be sure." The king frowned, scratching his chin as he tried to formulate a fitting speech. He did love to dazzle with his silver tongue, but Vigi seemed to appreciate direct honesty more. He seemed like the right man for the job, and Jacquez did not like the word "no". "Strategically speaking, it seems advantageous to present a third noble to our Royal Court, one of sound mind and body, one physically strong enough and mentally prepared to repel would-be marauders."
He paused to let the words sink in, turning to look back out at the roiling sea. They were not close by any means, but they didn't need to be, did they? Men did not require words to form trust -- it was actions that captured their hearts. Vigilante had enough faith in Jacquez's leadership to remain loyal thus far, and that in return proved to Jacquez that Vigi could be trusted. Would they be friends forever? Highly unlikely, for their moral compasses pointed in polar opposite directions. They were barely acquaintances as it was, but peace-loving Ruri would be their moderator. Still, Jacquez had always had a knack for judging character, predicting flaws and corruption, and in this male there were none. It also privately gave him a kick to have their kingdom ruled only by dogs, unlike their wolf and coyote neighbors.