Holvos, Grimwoods, and Redmudds have mustered for a scholar? In this world of Indregai serpents, sea giants and mountain raiders, I do not think so.”
“Sibilan was a scholar-king,” Lar said quietly.
“Sibilan Italga reigned for three years before he lost his head, which was longer than anyone expected.”
“Sibilan the Scholar fell from a tower, didn’t he?” Cazia asked. “I know the song. He learned how to turn the flat stone spell into a building stone, then he built a tower...” The way they were staring at her made her realize she was being foolish and she felt herself flush. So much for saying something that would impress them all, although she wasn’t sure what she’d gotten wrong. “It would have worked in peacetime,” she said, changing course. “The tyrs would have accepted him as king if it had secured peace in the east.”
“King Ellifer thought so, too,” Treygar said. “That was his gamble.”
“Can’t we just replace the tyrs who refuse to take an oath of loyalty?” Col asked. “Including my father?”
Treygar shook his head. “It’s not as easy as that. A tyr is more than just a boy with an inheritance. He has relationships. The commander of his troop will be his closest friend, and his spymaster will be a beloved cousin. The master coin collector will have found a place in his tyrship’s retinue for his two eldest children, and the harbormaster will love him like a long-lost brother. If he’s a clever tyr, at least, and if they’re still alive after a few years, it’s because they’re clever. It’s as easy to execute and replace a well-established tyr as it is to publicly murder a man and hope that all his dearest friends will accept you in his place. You must first turn his people against him, or replace them all afterward.”
Cazia glanced at her brother. It had never occurred to her that he would not be welcomed as the new Tyr Freewell, when the time came.
“And there are some who will question Ellifer’s death,” Gerrit said. That was met with silence. “Not me, my king. I have known Tejohn since before Pinch Hall, and his word is good enough for me, even in a matter such as this. But it won’t do for everyone. There are many who will be unwilling to muster troops and swear an oath based on this story.”
“They are welcome to visit Peradain to see for themselves,” Lar said bitterly.
“Many will. It will help that you have brought your cousins with you.”
Cazia sighed bitterly. “Am I still a hostage?”
“Yes,” Stoneface said, “Both of you have proven your loyalty beyond any doubt, as far as I’m concerned, but your father hasn’t. Tyr Freewell knows that his children love the prince--I’m sorry, my king--his children love King Lar, and that you love them in return. But he also knew that Ellifer Italga would have dropped their heads onto the roof of his house if he had sent so much as a scout onto another tyr’s lands.”
“I don’t...” Col couldn’t finish the sentence, whatever he wanted to say. “It’s not clear why I’m still alive. I know my father has no love for me or Caz, and I don’t see how our lives could hold him in check all these years.”
“It’s not love,” Gerrit said. “I’ve met your father several times--I may have spent more time with him than you have--and I don’t think he’s capable of love. But causing your executions would be a tremendous blow to his authority. After all, he’s nothing more than an ambitious commoner who earned King Ghrund’s favor, all those years ago. His own people already think Song shows him no favor, and if his own children were Fire-taken, someone would see to it that he was, too, to placate Fury.”
“It’s to the king and queen’s credit that they did not stage something that would have given his people cause to remove him.” Treygar said. “But we need the hostages to remain hostages still, and we need the tyrs to believe their children are in
“Sibilan was a scholar-king,” Lar said quietly.
“Sibilan Italga reigned for three years before he lost his head, which was longer than anyone expected.”
“Sibilan the Scholar fell from a tower, didn’t he?” Cazia asked. “I know the song. He learned how to turn the flat stone spell into a building stone, then he built a tower...” The way they were staring at her made her realize she was being foolish and she felt herself flush. So much for saying something that would impress them all, although she wasn’t sure what she’d gotten wrong. “It would have worked in peacetime,” she said, changing course. “The tyrs would have accepted him as king if it had secured peace in the east.”
“King Ellifer thought so, too,” Treygar said. “That was his gamble.”
“Can’t we just replace the tyrs who refuse to take an oath of loyalty?” Col asked. “Including my father?”
Treygar shook his head. “It’s not as easy as that. A tyr is more than just a boy with an inheritance. He has relationships. The commander of his troop will be his closest friend, and his spymaster will be a beloved cousin. The master coin collector will have found a place in his tyrship’s retinue for his two eldest children, and the harbormaster will love him like a long-lost brother. If he’s a clever tyr, at least, and if they’re still alive after a few years, it’s because they’re clever. It’s as easy to execute and replace a well-established tyr as it is to publicly murder a man and hope that all his dearest friends will accept you in his place. You must first turn his people against him, or replace them all afterward.”
Cazia glanced at her brother. It had never occurred to her that he would not be welcomed as the new Tyr Freewell, when the time came.
“And there are some who will question Ellifer’s death,” Gerrit said. That was met with silence. “Not me, my king. I have known Tejohn since before Pinch Hall, and his word is good enough for me, even in a matter such as this. But it won’t do for everyone. There are many who will be unwilling to muster troops and swear an oath based on this story.”
“They are welcome to visit Peradain to see for themselves,” Lar said bitterly.
“Many will. It will help that you have brought your cousins with you.”
Cazia sighed bitterly. “Am I still a hostage?”
“Yes,” Stoneface said, “Both of you have proven your loyalty beyond any doubt, as far as I’m concerned, but your father hasn’t. Tyr Freewell knows that his children love the prince--I’m sorry, my king--his children love King Lar, and that you love them in return. But he also knew that Ellifer Italga would have dropped their heads onto the roof of his house if he had sent so much as a scout onto another tyr’s lands.”
“I don’t...” Col couldn’t finish the sentence, whatever he wanted to say. “It’s not clear why I’m still alive. I know my father has no love for me or Caz, and I don’t see how our lives could hold him in check all these years.”
“It’s not love,” Gerrit said. “I’ve met your father several times--I may have spent more time with him than you have--and I don’t think he’s capable of love. But causing your executions would be a tremendous blow to his authority. After all, he’s nothing more than an ambitious commoner who earned King Ghrund’s favor, all those years ago. His own people already think Song shows him no favor, and if his own children were Fire-taken, someone would see to it that he was, too, to placate Fury.”
“It’s to the king and queen’s credit that they did not stage something that would have given his people cause to remove him.” Treygar said. “But we need the hostages to remain hostages still, and we need the tyrs to believe their children are in
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