Grand Commander Aristocles of the Order of Zarthani Knights,
It is our pleasure to inform you that Great King Cleitharses has less than half a moon to live among us. He is dying from a black tumor in his nether parts. We are allowing his healer to inform the King's subjects of his grave illness.
Before his death, Cleitharses dictated a will appointing Prince Anaxon as his successor. We were able to intercept his missive to the Prince informing him of his decision. We are trying to contain the news of his impending death to within the borders of Hos-Ktemnos. It is both Our and Styphon's Will that the Prince remain with the Grand Host until the Daemon Kalvan is captured and killed.
However, once word of his uncle's death reaches the Prince's ears, it is probable that Anaxon, having unnatural enmity for Styphon's House, will return with his troops to Ktemnos City. It is your duty to use all powers at your hand, including death, to prevent the Prince from leaving the Grand Host of Styphon's House. It would be best that his soldiers thought that this demise was either accidental or by natural means. I have included a few potions in this pouch to simulate death by seizure of the heart.
If possible, it would be to Our best advantage that the Prince be placed at the head of any attacks upon Kalvan, or any other hostiles, that might prove perilous to his health. We have found an older and more malleable cousin who will act as regent until Anaxoris return, and whom we will seat on the Golden Throne upon his death.
Your friend in Styphon's Will, Styphon's Own Voice Anaxthenes
"This letter is priceless!" Phidestros crowed. "In the wrong hands, it would doom Styphon's House's control of Hos-Ktemnos." He paused to stroke his beard. "It could spark open rebellion throughout the Five Kingdoms. Anaxon is young and well-loved by his subjects. One could buy a princedom with the gold this note would purchase from Anaxon, or even Great King Demistophon!"
"Couldn't we use this to bring down Styphon's House?" Sirna asked. "Surely the Great Kings would be most distressed to learn that Styphon's Own Voice is plotting the murder of the next Great King of Hos-Ktemnos."
"Let's not be hasty, Sirna," Phidestros said softly. "There is little to be gained at this moment in time by poking a stick in Styphon's eye. This missive is much more valuable if no one knows that it exists. With this letter, I can bribe Styphon's Own Voice to do my will." Or have them support my claims, he thought. There are some things that are best kept secret from everyone.
"Ranthos, you will be well-rewarded for your loyalty. Five thousand ounces of gold and ten square marches of good farmland to add to your barony."
"You are too kind, Your Highness. But I'll take it!"
The two men laughed.
"You both know how evil and corrupt Styphon's House is. Why don't you use this letter as a lever to bring them down?" It was obvious from her tone that Sirna was holding her anger at bay.
Phidestros shook his head: Women! "It's not that easy, Lady Sirna. First, we'd have to authenticate the missive, which would tell the world that we have broken Styphon's code. However, some princes would choose not to believe that we can do this and instead claim we are inventing these words to cause the Temple trouble. This would give Styphon's House the opportunity to tell everyone that it is a plot against the Temple instigated by myself. Their reply will be to invade Greater Beshta with Soton's Army. I would much rather watch from afar as Soton dismembers Hos-Agrys one limb at a time."
"Furthermore," Ranthos added, "releasing this letter would bring an end to our reading Styphon's House's secret communications. They would switch codes or stop sending them altogether. Then the Prince would lose his biggest advantage against the Temple."
"Exactly, Baron. No, this missive and its contents will stay in my hands only. Is that agreed?"
Ranthos nodded his acceptance.
Sirna's shoulders slumped. Phidestros realized he was losing her, but didn't know what to do about it. He certainly couldn't rebuff Lysandros' offer of a bride; after all, no woman was worth a crown.
"Now, we must decide what portions of this letter we will send to the Grand Commander."
Ranthos spoke. "Your Highness, leave it as it is, only we'll substitute my forgery for the original parchment. That way we will have Anaxthenes' code on Styphon's specially marked parchment should the need ever arise to publicly display this document."
"You're hanging a death sentence on a good man," Sirna said.
Phidestros shrugged his shoulders. "It's not our death sentence; it comes from Styphon's Own Voice. Maybe the gods will spare Prince Anaxon, or maybe he will die in battle anyway. Besides, this Prince is no friend of ours. Many good men die in wars. Is this just, maybe? Maybe not? Ask Galzar the Judge, not me."
"Yes, Your Highness," Ranthos added, "Anaxon's death will be our proof that this missive was not only written by Styphon's Voice, but carried out by his orders. Someday this letter might destroy a kingdom…"
Or create a new one, Phidestros thought to himself.
TWENTY-FIVE
What I'd like to do," Kalvan said in passable Urgothi, "is promote you to Captain-General of the Army of Thagnor."
"Why me, Your Majesty?" Errock asked, shaking his head. "You have no end of good commanders in the Army of Nos-Hostigos." Kalvan had already taken Errock's oath of fealty to Thagnor and Nos-Hostigos, but he hadn't expected a promotion. After all, he was of Grefftscharrer birth and an outlander, even here in Thagnor. At best, he'd expected the Great King to use him as an informant.
"I was just fighting your army, Sire." Not well, either, Errock thought, although that fault lies more with Prince Varrack than myself. Although in Varrack's defense, not even a better armed and trained army could have stopped King Kalvan's bold plan to storm Thagnor City.
"I need someone to head the Thagnori Army, someone that I can trust. Would it violate your Grefftscharri citizenship to become head of a possible enemy army?"
Errock almost spat on the floor; his mouth tasted of bile. "No, Your Majesty! I'm no favorite of Theovacar's; I left Greffa only days before the Royal Executioner was about to chop off my head! Theovacar's father stole our grandfather's estate, throwing my entire family out on the streets. He needed the land to reward one of his favorites. My grandfather was behind with taxes because he refused to pay 'extortion money,' as he called it, to the King. Grandfather spent his last few years in the palace dungeon. We lost everything and my father became a mercenary captain to feed us. He died in some forgotten town in Helmout, fighting barbarians from the Sea of Grass. As soon as we were old enough to hoist swords, my brother and I became Free Companions.
"When I returned to our old tarr, I killed the Baron who had my family evicted from our family home. King Theovacar branded me an outlaw. I fled Grefftscharr and fought in the Sastragath as a mercenary under one of the Hos-Ktemnoi princes who wanted to expand his holding. There I learned to speak some Zarthani, which helped when I was later hired to fight in one of the Hos-Blethan border wars under Prince Stygros of Drathor. When I tired of the heat and mosquitoes, I hired on as a mercenary captain in Dorg. I served there for almost ten winters before I came to Thagnor at Varrack's request."
"I take this to mean you owe no loyalty to Theovacar?"
"If anything, Your Majesty, King Theovacar is a worse thief and murderer than his father. That's why I came to Thagnor, to command the army of his errant vassal, Prince Varrack."
Kalvan nodded. "So there is nothing to prevent you from being Captain-General of the Nos-Hostigos Army of Thagnor."
"No. It is a great honor, Your Majesty. I know that you have many able captains and generals, enough that you do not need to promote outlanders over your own."