"After the Ullanor War ended, the Emperor announced that he would withdraw from the Great Crusade and hand command of it to Horus, who had been elevated to Warmaster. After that, he revealed some information about the Webway Project to me."
Dorn spoke calmly. Upon hearing him, Lion and Sanguinius both showed looks of realization.
Come to think of it, after the Emperor left the Great Crusade, he had specifically brought Dorn's Imperial Fists back to Terra, appointing them as Terra's guardians and placing them in charge of defending humanity's Throne World.
By all reason and sentiment, the Emperor could not possibly have kept the plan entirely hidden from Dorn. Since he had entrusted Dorn with coordinating the entire Solar System's defenses, Dorn could not have known nothing about the Webway Project.
"By that logic, Dorn was actually the Primarch brother who understood the Emperor's grand plan most deeply."
Lion sighed inwardly. Horus had once been so glorious. The title of Warmaster granted him an exalted status beneath only the Emperor and above all others; even the other Primarchs had to submit to the Warmaster's command and deployment.
But Horus would never have known that the title of Warmaster was merely a smokescreen cast by the Emperor, while his true plan was known only to Rogal Dorn.
Without question, that meant Dorn was the most trusted son. Although that conflicted somewhat with Lion's self-image, the thought that Horus was not the chosen one made him feel much better.
People did not fear that nobody had something; they feared that the rival they cared about possessed it alone.
Though Lion never said it aloud, he still harbored resentment over the matter of the Warmaster. He believed himself to be the finest candidate, yet the Emperor had chosen Horus.
No matter who