ancestors will portray me, Vangy. I’ve been a good king, but I could do something so wrong that all my good deeds would be forgotten. Salember forces me to remember that.”
” ‘You will make history,’ ” the wizard quoted from his old lessons to, then, Prince Azoun, ” ‘but history can unmake you.’”
Azoun laughed and nodded. “What will history say about the council today?”
Raggedly Vangerdahast sighed and drummed his fingers on his not inconsiderable paunch. “You controlled it as best you could, I suppose.”
“If that’s the best you can say, we’re in sorry shape.”
The wizard rubbed his eyes and started to add something, then stopped. In actuality, Vangerdahast wasn’t quite sure what to think of the meeting. He settled for a noncommittal reply. “At least your nobles followed your lead.”
Azoun was quick to pick up the hesitancy in his advisor’s responses. “As we expected,” he noted as he studied Vangerdahast’s face for some clue as to his true opinion. “But what about Sembia, or, more to the point, the Dales?”
The wizard shrugged. “We got what we could from Yarmmaster and Sembia. Their army is so small it has trouble keeping the peace at home, so we shouldn’t expect anything other than financial support.”
“I’m still not all that comfortable with hiring mercenaries, Vangy.”
“You have no choice,” the wizard replied. “At least Sembia will pay for some of them.”
“And the Dales?”
“Not even a witch from Rashemen could predict what they will do,” Vangerdahast said flatly. “It mostly depends on your meeting with the Zhentish delegate two days from now.” The wizard paused and stood up. “Even if you do get Zhentish support, you’re going to have trouble placing the dalesmen in the army.”
“Ah, Mourngrym’s ridiculous demand for dalesmen leading themselves.”
“Ridiculous?” Vangerdahast repeated, his eyes wide with surprise.
Azoun nodded, wondering why his friend was taken aback by his comment. “I’ll not have anyone undermining my command of these forces, Vangy. For us to succeed, there must be one clear leader on the expedition.”
“You’re being inflexible.”
“Not inflexible, Vangy. I’m right. Military history shows that”
Vangerdahast threw his arms into the air and looked up at the ceiling. “One minute you’re damning fickle historians and the next you’re basing your army’s organization upon their advice.”
Azoun scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I find good advice where I can.”
“No, Azoun,” Vangerdahast began, then shook his head. “It’s just like Alusair used to”
All the color drained from the king’s face at the mention of his youngest daughter. Vangerdahast saw the pained expression that took hold of his friend and instantly regretted the slip. The princess’s opinion of her father’s stubbornness was, however, a very valid point to bring up.
It was Azoun’s inflexibility that caused his conflict with Alusair. No one really believed that it was entirely the king’s fault his daughter had run away four years past, for Alusair was as headstrong and willful as her father was sure that she had a duty to the state. Still, if Azoun hadn’t pressed her to abandon her desire to see the rest of the world before settling down to a life of royal responsibility, she wouldn’t have fled. And though Azoun had offered a generous reward for her return, Alusair remained hidden from even Vangerdahast’s considerable magical talent.
All these facts, and more personal things, raced through Azoun’s mind. Vangerdahast bowed his head and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Azoun.”
The king closed his eyes for a moment and banished the memories as best he could. “As I was saying,” he began dully, trying to avoid the topic altogether, “it is important that one person be recognized as the crusade’s leader. For this venture to be successful, we need to dissuade our soldiers of their
” ‘You will make history,’ ” the wizard quoted from his old lessons to, then, Prince Azoun, ” ‘but history can unmake you.’”
Azoun laughed and nodded. “What will history say about the council today?”
Raggedly Vangerdahast sighed and drummed his fingers on his not inconsiderable paunch. “You controlled it as best you could, I suppose.”
“If that’s the best you can say, we’re in sorry shape.”
The wizard rubbed his eyes and started to add something, then stopped. In actuality, Vangerdahast wasn’t quite sure what to think of the meeting. He settled for a noncommittal reply. “At least your nobles followed your lead.”
Azoun was quick to pick up the hesitancy in his advisor’s responses. “As we expected,” he noted as he studied Vangerdahast’s face for some clue as to his true opinion. “But what about Sembia, or, more to the point, the Dales?”
The wizard shrugged. “We got what we could from Yarmmaster and Sembia. Their army is so small it has trouble keeping the peace at home, so we shouldn’t expect anything other than financial support.”
“I’m still not all that comfortable with hiring mercenaries, Vangy.”
“You have no choice,” the wizard replied. “At least Sembia will pay for some of them.”
“And the Dales?”
“Not even a witch from Rashemen could predict what they will do,” Vangerdahast said flatly. “It mostly depends on your meeting with the Zhentish delegate two days from now.” The wizard paused and stood up. “Even if you do get Zhentish support, you’re going to have trouble placing the dalesmen in the army.”
“Ah, Mourngrym’s ridiculous demand for dalesmen leading themselves.”
“Ridiculous?” Vangerdahast repeated, his eyes wide with surprise.
Azoun nodded, wondering why his friend was taken aback by his comment. “I’ll not have anyone undermining my command of these forces, Vangy. For us to succeed, there must be one clear leader on the expedition.”
“You’re being inflexible.”
“Not inflexible, Vangy. I’m right. Military history shows that”
Vangerdahast threw his arms into the air and looked up at the ceiling. “One minute you’re damning fickle historians and the next you’re basing your army’s organization upon their advice.”
Azoun scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “I find good advice where I can.”
“No, Azoun,” Vangerdahast began, then shook his head. “It’s just like Alusair used to”
All the color drained from the king’s face at the mention of his youngest daughter. Vangerdahast saw the pained expression that took hold of his friend and instantly regretted the slip. The princess’s opinion of her father’s stubbornness was, however, a very valid point to bring up.
It was Azoun’s inflexibility that caused his conflict with Alusair. No one really believed that it was entirely the king’s fault his daughter had run away four years past, for Alusair was as headstrong and willful as her father was sure that she had a duty to the state. Still, if Azoun hadn’t pressed her to abandon her desire to see the rest of the world before settling down to a life of royal responsibility, she wouldn’t have fled. And though Azoun had offered a generous reward for her return, Alusair remained hidden from even Vangerdahast’s considerable magical talent.
All these facts, and more personal things, raced through Azoun’s mind. Vangerdahast bowed his head and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Azoun.”
The king closed his eyes for a moment and banished the memories as best he could. “As I was saying,” he began dully, trying to avoid the topic altogether, “it is important that one person be recognized as the crusade’s leader. For this venture to be successful, we need to dissuade our soldiers of their
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