heirs of his own, the Duke's death has left a void that isn't easily filled."
"He was a general also."
"In retirement, though he continued to visit his replacement and other key officers," the shadow nodded.
Caldrefan raised a hand to tap a finger against the tip of his chin as he crossed his other arm for support. "Perhaps we need to send someone to see if they plan to donate the man's castle to the people. It would make an excellent sanctuary and temporary home to those in need."
The other man said nothing. He was a man given to silence. It was one of the traits that made him good at his job. He was also intelligent enough to realize the rhetorical nature of Caldrefan's comment. No one would expect a king to give away one of his fortresses for free. The duke's castle held the northeast point of the city, and he had both titles and land beyond that which would require tending. Both the castle and land were important to the defense of Malaiy and Yalan, so Orlaan was likely trying to decide his best way of coping with the loss of his brother, a loyal supporter of the king during his entire reign though now more than a year had passed.
Caldrefan could still try to incite the people of Yalan by having his men suggest the idea during their speeches. It might light a fire under the king and help to disrupt Orlaan's plans further.
"Have the Shadows reported back on the other families' protection and defenses?" he asked a more pertinent and immediate question of the silent man.
A nod was the only answer from the cloaked figure. Given a moment's stare, the shadow added, "They have begun mapping openings and movement within the castles and homes. Do you plan to try putting them all to sleep like Amaan?"
The term was a kind way of putting it, Caldrefan thought of the shadow's words. "Not all of them," he replied thinking what threads needed to be pulled for a coup to sink its teeth into the jugular of this country.
Enswere had been their biggest move and royalty hadn't been a true obstacle. Racial groups had been slowly breaking that country apart for centuries. A little pulling at a few loose threads had made the whole thing fall apart in a matter of a couple years.
The masked man sensed his dismissal and slipped away into the shadows behind the statue once again. Caldrefan's thoughts were no longer on the man, but on the one he hoped to pull into this country's problems. His enemy had ties to the royals of Malaiy. Making him come to his descendants' aid was the wizard's true reason for stirring up the city and putting Karlaan on the center stage of it all.
Karlaan's reveal as the son of Orlaan and a legitimate heir had to be done at the right time. The people weren't ready and neither was the boy. Caldrefan still had work to do there, but there was time yet. His movement of each cog in the mechanism of his plan had to be set just right or his end goal wouldn't happen. He had failed in Enswere even if the country had broken in two. This time he would make it more personal.
Alexander's carriage pulled up before the gates to the king's castle. After a moment to assess the count's identity and reason for coming, the four ebony horses pulled the equally black carriage into a yard where men came to see to the horses.
The young count had been pulled aside by Prince Jeremiah and asked to come to the castle to visit the prince before returning to his home in Patris. Both men were near enough in age to have been close as children as well. They had other cousins close in age, but the sons of his mother's elder sister weren't in western Yalan. The Marquess' family had been raised away from the king's castle where she governed another part of the city in the east, while the king's younger sister's sons had been raised in Teyas far to the south.
With Wylaan being a bit older, the two younger royals had been trained to the sword by the same teachers at the same time. Prince Wylaan had spent little time with the younger boys as he
"He was a general also."
"In retirement, though he continued to visit his replacement and other key officers," the shadow nodded.
Caldrefan raised a hand to tap a finger against the tip of his chin as he crossed his other arm for support. "Perhaps we need to send someone to see if they plan to donate the man's castle to the people. It would make an excellent sanctuary and temporary home to those in need."
The other man said nothing. He was a man given to silence. It was one of the traits that made him good at his job. He was also intelligent enough to realize the rhetorical nature of Caldrefan's comment. No one would expect a king to give away one of his fortresses for free. The duke's castle held the northeast point of the city, and he had both titles and land beyond that which would require tending. Both the castle and land were important to the defense of Malaiy and Yalan, so Orlaan was likely trying to decide his best way of coping with the loss of his brother, a loyal supporter of the king during his entire reign though now more than a year had passed.
Caldrefan could still try to incite the people of Yalan by having his men suggest the idea during their speeches. It might light a fire under the king and help to disrupt Orlaan's plans further.
"Have the Shadows reported back on the other families' protection and defenses?" he asked a more pertinent and immediate question of the silent man.
A nod was the only answer from the cloaked figure. Given a moment's stare, the shadow added, "They have begun mapping openings and movement within the castles and homes. Do you plan to try putting them all to sleep like Amaan?"
The term was a kind way of putting it, Caldrefan thought of the shadow's words. "Not all of them," he replied thinking what threads needed to be pulled for a coup to sink its teeth into the jugular of this country.
Enswere had been their biggest move and royalty hadn't been a true obstacle. Racial groups had been slowly breaking that country apart for centuries. A little pulling at a few loose threads had made the whole thing fall apart in a matter of a couple years.
The masked man sensed his dismissal and slipped away into the shadows behind the statue once again. Caldrefan's thoughts were no longer on the man, but on the one he hoped to pull into this country's problems. His enemy had ties to the royals of Malaiy. Making him come to his descendants' aid was the wizard's true reason for stirring up the city and putting Karlaan on the center stage of it all.
Karlaan's reveal as the son of Orlaan and a legitimate heir had to be done at the right time. The people weren't ready and neither was the boy. Caldrefan still had work to do there, but there was time yet. His movement of each cog in the mechanism of his plan had to be set just right or his end goal wouldn't happen. He had failed in Enswere even if the country had broken in two. This time he would make it more personal.
Alexander's carriage pulled up before the gates to the king's castle. After a moment to assess the count's identity and reason for coming, the four ebony horses pulled the equally black carriage into a yard where men came to see to the horses.
The young count had been pulled aside by Prince Jeremiah and asked to come to the castle to visit the prince before returning to his home in Patris. Both men were near enough in age to have been close as children as well. They had other cousins close in age, but the sons of his mother's elder sister weren't in western Yalan. The Marquess' family had been raised away from the king's castle where she governed another part of the city in the east, while the king's younger sister's sons had been raised in Teyas far to the south.
With Wylaan being a bit older, the two younger royals had been trained to the sword by the same teachers at the same time. Prince Wylaan had spent little time with the younger boys as he
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