"She has a point," Ahan agreed.
"A good one," Eondel said. There was relief in his eyes: soldier or not, he didn't want to attack his countrymen. "I will do it."
"That's easy for you to say, Eondel." Edan said, wiggling in his seat. "You can always just order your legion to work on the farms when the peasants turn lazy."
"My men are policing our country's highways, Lord Edan." Eondel huffed. "Their service there is invaluable.'
"And you are handsomely rewarded for it," Edan spar. "I have no income but that of my farms-and while my lands look big, I've got that blasted crack running right through the center of them. I don't have any room for laziness. If my potatoes don't get planted, weeded, and harvested, then I will lose my title."
"You'll probably lose it anyway," Ahan said with a helpful smile.
"Enough, Ahan," Roial ordered. "Edan has a point. How can we be certain the peasants will produce more if we give them so much liberty?"
Edan nodded. "I have found the Arelish peasantry to be a lazy, unproductive lot. The only way I can get enough work out of them is by force."
"They aren't lazy, my lord," Sarene said. "They are angry. Ten years is not so long a time, and these people can remember what it is to be their own masters. Give them the promise of autonomy, and they will work hard to achieve it. You will be surprised how much more profitable an independent man is than a slave who thinks of nothing more than his next meal. After all, which situation would make you more likely to be productive?"
The nobles mused over her words.
"Much of what you say makes sense," Shuden noted.
"But, Lady Sarene's evidence is vague," Roial said. "Times were different before the Reod. The Elantrians provided food, and the land could survive without a peasant class. We no longer have that luxury."
"Then help me find evidence, my lord," Sarene said. "Give me a few months and we will create our own proof."
"We will… consider your words." Roial said.
"No, Lord Roial, you will make a decision," Sarene said. "Beneath everything else, I believe that you are a patriot. You know what is right, and this is it. Don't tell me you've never felt any guilt for what you have done to this country."
Sarene regarded Roial anxiously. The elderly duke had impressed her, but there was no way for her to be sure he felt ashamed for Arelon. She had to depend on her impression that his heart was good, and that in his long life he had seen and understood how far his country had fallen. The collapse of Elantris had been a catalyst, but the greed of the nobility had been the true destroyer of this once grand nation.
"We have all been blinded at one rime or another by Iadon's promises of weaIth," Shuden said with his soft, wise voice. "I will do as Her Highness asks." Then the brown-skinned man turned his eyes on Roial and nodded. His acceptance had given the duke an opportunity to agree without losing too much face.
"All right," the elderly duke said with a sigh. "You are a wise man, Lord Shuden. If you find merit in this plan, then I will follow it as well."
"I suppose we have no choice," Edan said.
"It's better than waiting, Lord EdIan." Eondel noted.
"True. I agree as well."
"That leaves me," Ahan said with a sudden realization. "Oh, my. What shall I do?"
"Lord Roial agreed only grudgingly, my lord," Sarene said. "Don't tell me you are going to do the same?"
Ahan bellowed a laugh, his entire frame shaking. "What a delightful girl you are! Well, then, I guess I have to accept wholeheartedly. with the admonition chat I knew she was right all along. Now, Kiin, please tell me you haven't forgotten dessert. I've heard such lovely things about your confections."
"Forget dessert?" her uncle rasped. "Ahan, you wound me." He smiled as he rose from his chair and moved toward the kitchen.
"SHE is good at this, Kiin-perhaps better than I am." It was Duke Roial's voice. Sarene froze: she had gone looking for the washroom after bidding everyone farewell, and had expected them to be gone by now.
"She is a very special young woman," Kiin agreed. Their voices were coming from the kitchen. Silently. Sarene slipped forward and listened outside the door.
"She neatly slipped control away from me, and I still don't know where I went wrong. You should have warned me."
"And let you escape, Roial?" Kiin said with a laugh. "It's been a long time since anyone, including Ahan, got the better of you. It does a man good to realize he can still be taken by surprise once in a while.'
"She nearly lost it near the end there, though," Roial said. "I don't like being backed into corners, Kiin."
"It was a calculated risk, my lord," Sarene said, pushing open the door and strolling in.
Her appearance didn't give the duke even a moment's pause. "You all but threatened me. Sarene. That is no way to make an ally-especially of a crotchety old man such as myself." The duke and Kiin were sharing a bottle of Fjordell wine at the kitchen table. and their manner was even more relaxed than the dinner had been. "A few days wouldn't have hurt our position, and I certainly would have
given you my support. I've found that thoughtful, well-considered commitment is much more productive than spurious professions."
Sarene nodded. slipping a glass from one of Kiin's shelves and pouring herself some wine before sitting. "I understand. Roial." If he could drop formalities, then so could she. "But the others look to you. They trust your judgment. I needed more than your support-which, by the way, I know you would have given-I needed your open support. The others had to see you accept the plan before they would agree. It wouldn't have had the same impact a few days later."
"Perhaps," Roial said. "One thing is certain. Sarene-you give us hope again. Raoden was our unity before: now you will take his place. Kiin or I couldn't do it. Kiin has refused nobility for too long-no matter what they say, the people still want a leader with a title. And me… they all know that I helped Iadon start this monstrosity that has slowly killed our country."
"That was long ago. Roial," Kiin said clasping the elderly duke on the shoulder.
"No," Roial said with a shake of his head. "As the fair princess said. ten years isn't long in the life span of nations. I am guilty of a grave mistake."
"We will make it right, Roial," Kiin said. "This plan is a good one-perhaps even better than Raoden's."
Roial smiled. "She would have made him a fine wife. Kiin."
Kiin nodded. "Fine indeed-and an even better queen. Domi moves in ways that are sometimes strange to our mortal minds."
"I'm not convinced it was Domi's will that took him from us, Uncle," Sarene said over her wine. "Have either of you ever wondered if. perhaps, someone might have been behind the prince's death?"
"The answer to that question borders on treason, Sarene," Kiin warned. "Any more than the other things we have said tonight?"
"We were only accusing the king of greed, Sarene," Roial said. "The murder of his own son is another matter entirely."
"Think about it, though," Sarene said, waving her hand in a wide gesture. and nearly spilling her wine. "The prince took a contrary stance on everything his father did-he ridiculed Iadon in court, he planned behind the king's back, and he had the love of the people. Most importantly. everything he said about Iadon was true. Is that the kind of person a monarch can afford to have running free?"
"Yes. but his own son?" Roial said with a disbelieving shake of his head.
"It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened," Kiin said.
"True," Roial said. "But, I don't know if the prince was as much of a problem to Iadon as you assume. Raoden wasn't so much rebellious as he was critical. He never said that Iadon shouldn't be king, he simply claimed that Arelon's government was in trouble-which it is."