on the best solution to the Master’s question.
But Teirn’s eyes hardened, and he looked away.
The Master chewed on a turnip, and looked from son to son. “Any ideas?”
Wrend swallowed his heart down. His head hurt much less, now. In the goblet near his plate, his reflection showed that the wound on his head had nearly healed completely.
“How,” he said, “have you gone about expanding in the past?”
The Master chuckled and shook his head. The deep laughter made Wrend’s skull vibrate.
“You’re wise to ask that. I’ll tell you after you answer. I want to know what you would do if it were up to you.” He raised his eyebrows. “For example, if I gave you this task.”
A thrill ran the length of Wrend’s spine, and he caught his breath. He’d never heard of any demigod leaving the Seraglio before age twenty, and even then they only became the third in a trio of demigods serving in a specific part of the country. They didn’t annex territories.
“The answer is easy,” Teirn said. His fists rested on each side of his plate, one clenching a knife and the other a fork. “I would take an army of paladins down there and simply occupy the land we want to take. Anyone who resists, dies.”
The Master smiled at Teirn, and an intense jealousy arose in Wrend’s belly.
“Why do you say that?” the Master said.
Teirn shrugged. “You’re god. Your will determines what’s right. If you want a territory and people, you can take them. So, I say we take what you want.”
The redhead had paused behind him. She stared at him with an unreadable expression. After a moment, she leaned forward and poured him more water.
The Master’s gaze swung to Wrend. “And what would you do?”
Wrend licked his lips, trying to formulate his answer. He couldn’t give the same answer as Teirn. It would seem he just copied his brother. And besides, a different method came to mind. A fairer, better method. As he considered it, a stubborn resolve permeated his heart. He’d never felt anything like it, never felt so certain he was right.
“I think I would do it differently,” he said.
The Master smiled and raised his eyebrows. He’d stopped eating. Teirn, too, stared at him. The serving girl had moved around the table, and although Wrend hadn’t taken a sip since the last refill, she leaned over his shoulder and poured water to the brim of his goblet.
“You’re god,” Wrend said. “A mighty and generous god. When the people of Hasuke learn that their god is dead, they’ll need direction and comfort. If you went into Hasuke and showed them your mercy and goodness, they might willingly come under your wing.”
The Master’s expression had not changed. “Go on.”
“Invite them into your fold. Accept those who come.”
“What of the others?”
Wrend took a deep breath. “Let them live as they choose.”
Teirn laughed. “Let them defy God Athanaric?”
Wrend looked from his brother to the Master. He’d made a mistake. A tightness around the Master’s eyes betrayed sorrow, a strange regret as if he’d just realized that years of effort had accomplished nothing. He pursed his lips and shook his head ever so slightly. Wrend’s boldness and stubbornness melted away, and for the second time that night, he feared the Master would strike him down on the spot.
The demigods that hung above the Master stopped swaying as the air fell still. The head of the woman lolled to the side. Her empty, dead eyes, looked to Wrend.
He waited for his punishment.
Chapter 14: Starting out at a disadvantage
Being special is not an advantage in any situation. It only means that people have different expectations for you—either higher or lower. If they have lower expectations for you, there’s probably a good reason, but if they have higher expectations, they're probably too high, and you will most likely fail to meet them.
-Teirn
The Master shook his head in disapproval. He didn’t strike. Not
But Teirn’s eyes hardened, and he looked away.
The Master chewed on a turnip, and looked from son to son. “Any ideas?”
Wrend swallowed his heart down. His head hurt much less, now. In the goblet near his plate, his reflection showed that the wound on his head had nearly healed completely.
“How,” he said, “have you gone about expanding in the past?”
The Master chuckled and shook his head. The deep laughter made Wrend’s skull vibrate.
“You’re wise to ask that. I’ll tell you after you answer. I want to know what you would do if it were up to you.” He raised his eyebrows. “For example, if I gave you this task.”
A thrill ran the length of Wrend’s spine, and he caught his breath. He’d never heard of any demigod leaving the Seraglio before age twenty, and even then they only became the third in a trio of demigods serving in a specific part of the country. They didn’t annex territories.
“The answer is easy,” Teirn said. His fists rested on each side of his plate, one clenching a knife and the other a fork. “I would take an army of paladins down there and simply occupy the land we want to take. Anyone who resists, dies.”
The Master smiled at Teirn, and an intense jealousy arose in Wrend’s belly.
“Why do you say that?” the Master said.
Teirn shrugged. “You’re god. Your will determines what’s right. If you want a territory and people, you can take them. So, I say we take what you want.”
The redhead had paused behind him. She stared at him with an unreadable expression. After a moment, she leaned forward and poured him more water.
The Master’s gaze swung to Wrend. “And what would you do?”
Wrend licked his lips, trying to formulate his answer. He couldn’t give the same answer as Teirn. It would seem he just copied his brother. And besides, a different method came to mind. A fairer, better method. As he considered it, a stubborn resolve permeated his heart. He’d never felt anything like it, never felt so certain he was right.
“I think I would do it differently,” he said.
The Master smiled and raised his eyebrows. He’d stopped eating. Teirn, too, stared at him. The serving girl had moved around the table, and although Wrend hadn’t taken a sip since the last refill, she leaned over his shoulder and poured water to the brim of his goblet.
“You’re god,” Wrend said. “A mighty and generous god. When the people of Hasuke learn that their god is dead, they’ll need direction and comfort. If you went into Hasuke and showed them your mercy and goodness, they might willingly come under your wing.”
The Master’s expression had not changed. “Go on.”
“Invite them into your fold. Accept those who come.”
“What of the others?”
Wrend took a deep breath. “Let them live as they choose.”
Teirn laughed. “Let them defy God Athanaric?”
Wrend looked from his brother to the Master. He’d made a mistake. A tightness around the Master’s eyes betrayed sorrow, a strange regret as if he’d just realized that years of effort had accomplished nothing. He pursed his lips and shook his head ever so slightly. Wrend’s boldness and stubbornness melted away, and for the second time that night, he feared the Master would strike him down on the spot.
The demigods that hung above the Master stopped swaying as the air fell still. The head of the woman lolled to the side. Her empty, dead eyes, looked to Wrend.
He waited for his punishment.
Chapter 14: Starting out at a disadvantage
Being special is not an advantage in any situation. It only means that people have different expectations for you—either higher or lower. If they have lower expectations for you, there’s probably a good reason, but if they have higher expectations, they're probably too high, and you will most likely fail to meet them.
-Teirn
The Master shook his head in disapproval. He didn’t strike. Not
Similar Books
