very night!”
The King visibly calmed himself, resisting the urge to rub his chest. Damn his weak heart. It would betray him just when he was working up a good tantrum.
“So because he was in the right place, at the right time, he will make a more formidable Lord Marshall than the man who has trained and equipped the army that defends us?” Therron almost sneered.
“I hope he will make a better Lord Marshall,” Tammon nodded, calmer now. “But he finds himself in that position because of you , not him. He did not desire command and refused at first to even consider it. In part I’m sure due to the death of Darvo Nidiad, leaving aside our treatment of him over the span of his life.” He leaned forward.
“Make no mistake, son of mine. You stand here before me, defrocked and disowned because of your own arrogance and actions and nothing else. Leaving aside for the sake of the kingdom your plans to make sure it was you that sat upon the throne one day rather than your brother!”
Therron’s eyes widened before he could stop them, giving himself away. He managed to get his surprise under control, but it was far too late.
“Surely you did not think you could engineer such subversion as you planned and I would take no notice, Therron,” Tammon’s voice was gentle this time. Mocking.
“I have no idea of what you speak,” Therron managed to keep his voice steady. “The very idea is repugnant to me.”
“I see,” Tammon sat back, motioning to the Chamber Warden. The door behind him opened to admit Jon Keen, Provincial Governor of the Alma province.
“Former Governor Keen has a very different tale to tell than you, my son,” Tammon managed not to gloat. “You see, after your brother’s visit to that area, Memmnon dispatched a unit of King’s Constables to check into the situation there. You might recall that? Yes?” Therron nodded, hesitantly.
“It seems that their investigation was. . .particularly successful,” Tammon informed his middle son. “So much so that their investigation into corruption in the Provincial Government led them to former Governor Keen himself, who, thinking that being under your protection meant that he was untouchable, was somewhat more. . .talkative, that he should have been.”
Therron shot a menacing glance at Keen, who returned the look stolidly. He was caught out, with no real option left to him. Therron McLeod had made him many promises and delivered on none of them. He owed the man no loyalty as he saw it.
“It saddens me that it would be my own family that would subvert the long and unbroken custom of peaceful ascension to the throne of Soulan.” The sadness was evident in Tammon’s eyes as well as his voice. “Somewhere, I went wrong in raising my offspring. Very wrong, apparently,” he sighed.
“Whatever Keen has told you-” Therron began, but Tammon cut him off.
“Don’t bother with any more lies, my son,” he raised a hand, suddenly weary of this confrontation. “Therron McLeod, of the House McLeod, you have by your actions against Crown and Kingdom proved yourself unworthy of the title and responsibility you bear. In light of that fact and of the evidence already arrayed against you in my possession, coupled with your complete disregard for a direct order of your Sovereign, placing the entire kingdom in jeopardy in doing so, you are hereby stripped of all rights and privileges of the station of a member of the Ruling House. You are relieved of your post as Lord Marshall of the Army of Soulan and will no longer occupy the second seat in line of succession to the throne of Soulan.” Tammon paused, taking a deep, troubled breath.
“Further, you will live out the remainder of your days in exile along the islands of the Key Horn, where you will bear no power, no authority, and no seat of any kind. Your name will be stricken from the histories of the Dynasty of Tyree, and you will be forgotten. As if you never were. This is my Decree, spoken this day,
The King visibly calmed himself, resisting the urge to rub his chest. Damn his weak heart. It would betray him just when he was working up a good tantrum.
“So because he was in the right place, at the right time, he will make a more formidable Lord Marshall than the man who has trained and equipped the army that defends us?” Therron almost sneered.
“I hope he will make a better Lord Marshall,” Tammon nodded, calmer now. “But he finds himself in that position because of you , not him. He did not desire command and refused at first to even consider it. In part I’m sure due to the death of Darvo Nidiad, leaving aside our treatment of him over the span of his life.” He leaned forward.
“Make no mistake, son of mine. You stand here before me, defrocked and disowned because of your own arrogance and actions and nothing else. Leaving aside for the sake of the kingdom your plans to make sure it was you that sat upon the throne one day rather than your brother!”
Therron’s eyes widened before he could stop them, giving himself away. He managed to get his surprise under control, but it was far too late.
“Surely you did not think you could engineer such subversion as you planned and I would take no notice, Therron,” Tammon’s voice was gentle this time. Mocking.
“I have no idea of what you speak,” Therron managed to keep his voice steady. “The very idea is repugnant to me.”
“I see,” Tammon sat back, motioning to the Chamber Warden. The door behind him opened to admit Jon Keen, Provincial Governor of the Alma province.
“Former Governor Keen has a very different tale to tell than you, my son,” Tammon managed not to gloat. “You see, after your brother’s visit to that area, Memmnon dispatched a unit of King’s Constables to check into the situation there. You might recall that? Yes?” Therron nodded, hesitantly.
“It seems that their investigation was. . .particularly successful,” Tammon informed his middle son. “So much so that their investigation into corruption in the Provincial Government led them to former Governor Keen himself, who, thinking that being under your protection meant that he was untouchable, was somewhat more. . .talkative, that he should have been.”
Therron shot a menacing glance at Keen, who returned the look stolidly. He was caught out, with no real option left to him. Therron McLeod had made him many promises and delivered on none of them. He owed the man no loyalty as he saw it.
“It saddens me that it would be my own family that would subvert the long and unbroken custom of peaceful ascension to the throne of Soulan.” The sadness was evident in Tammon’s eyes as well as his voice. “Somewhere, I went wrong in raising my offspring. Very wrong, apparently,” he sighed.
“Whatever Keen has told you-” Therron began, but Tammon cut him off.
“Don’t bother with any more lies, my son,” he raised a hand, suddenly weary of this confrontation. “Therron McLeod, of the House McLeod, you have by your actions against Crown and Kingdom proved yourself unworthy of the title and responsibility you bear. In light of that fact and of the evidence already arrayed against you in my possession, coupled with your complete disregard for a direct order of your Sovereign, placing the entire kingdom in jeopardy in doing so, you are hereby stripped of all rights and privileges of the station of a member of the Ruling House. You are relieved of your post as Lord Marshall of the Army of Soulan and will no longer occupy the second seat in line of succession to the throne of Soulan.” Tammon paused, taking a deep, troubled breath.
“Further, you will live out the remainder of your days in exile along the islands of the Key Horn, where you will bear no power, no authority, and no seat of any kind. Your name will be stricken from the histories of the Dynasty of Tyree, and you will be forgotten. As if you never were. This is my Decree, spoken this day,
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