H - 126: The Dragons Knew (Patreon)

Kaln was no match for either Henrietta or Izayaroa in terms of poise, but he managed not to be too outwardly shocked.

“I see,” he replied, as evenly as he could manage. “Could you perhaps add some context, please?”

To his surprise—and, visibly, to Henrietta’s—it was Percy who answered.

“Kaln, this isn’t Rhivaak.” She cut herself off, wincing, and proceeded more hesitantly. “I mean—what I mean is… Well, you just lectured an entire courtyard full of soldiers about how Mother lost control of the Court Mage, had the spymaster incapacitated and had to be rescued from a massive attack on the capital by the kingdom’s own forces. It’s… In Rhivaak, you have an Empress who is not only universally revered, but is physically capable of enforcing her will in person if it’s challenged. I’ve witnessed myself how neatly she was able to correct a failure of government and retain the loyalty of the people.”

Percy glanced at Izayaroa, then shook her head, her expression grim.

“Kaln, there is no regime in the Evervales which could survive such a blow to its legitimacy. The modern state of Boisverd is less than ten years old; it was stitched together from two smaller kingdoms and a duchy annexed when Mitzengard suffered…well, what is about to happen here. This is how Vale politics work. Every Verdi noble who even thinks they might have a chance of seizing the throne will try; our neighbors will only wait long enough for that to weaken the state further, and then they will move to take what they can.”

“I…see,” Kaln said slowly. He had not exactly known this, but it fit so neatly with everything he’d been told about Vale politics that it was mildly embarrassing he hadn’t thought of it in advance. “Well. I’m beginning to regret saying all that.”

“I would also rather you had not said all that,” Henrietta replied wryly, “but I find myself in no position to complain. Everything you said was correct, and saying it was the correct political move for you in that moment. Now…the consequences.”

“Is it your intent, then, to abandon the throne?” Izayaroa asked.

The Queen shook her head. “I will not make that the legacy of my House. The details of how I must proceed will depend upon what unfolds over the coming days. I will not flee Boisverd unless I am forced to, but given the significant probability of that… Knowing whether my family has a secure position to which to retreat will help to shape my choices. In the immediate term, it is… Well, it was my intent to announce my abdication, with enough notice that the succession can proceed in an orderly manner.”

“Mother!” Percy protested. Her brother just tightened his jaw, saying nothing.

“The simple fact is that all of this is my responsibility,” Henrietta stated, still poised. “My Court Mage went insane and nearly destroyed the city under my watch. Whether it is my fault is a question with which I shall wrestle for the rest of my life, but there is no question of my avoiding accountability. The treaty which accompanied my marriage to our former rule, Perseverance’s father, requires my son to inherit the throne. I had certainly hoped to give him more time to prepare, though in the end, no one can be truly prepared to rule.”

Izayaroa nodded in sympathy.

Henrietta, however, fixed Franz with a glare. “It seems, however, I gravely underestimated just how unprepared he was, since I have learned that my crown prince’s reaction to seeing me snatched by the Court Mage was, rather than securing the succession by taking shelter as was his duty, to incapacitate his bodyguard and pursue me.”

“Franz!” Percy exclaimed, visibly aghast.

Izayaroa once again put Kaln in awe of her presentation skill. She barely altered her face, and shifted her posture only by straightening almost imperceptibly, but suddenly she was radiating disapproval so powerful it felt like a physical force to all present.

The Crown Prince of Boisverd had opened his mouth, presumably to defend himself, but met the golden stare of the unimpressed Empress and was suddenly struck silent.

“I do not diminish the courage that showed,” Henrietta continued, still staring fixedly at her son, “and as a mother, I can only be proud and touched by such a display of filial loyalty. These, however, are precisely the values a ruler must put aside for the benefit of the kingdom and its people. I have never thought either of my children so selfish that they would shirk duty for the sake of self-indulgence. Now I am forced to consider whether he may endanger the kingdom when it can least afford it by placing personal loyalties above the needs of the throne. And so, I now have to weigh the perils of attempting to hold onto the throne when abdication is the proper course of action against the risks of placing an obviously unprepared heir in a position from which he will immediately have to fend off opportunistic attacks from every direction. I am…struggling, at this moment, to see a stable future for Boisverd.”

Franz was slightly but visibly hunched under all this pressure, but now rallied enough to speak.

“There is another option, you know—a way to continue the line of succession without either of those risks. Percy could be crowned.”

“What?” Percy burst out. “Franz, no, what are you saying? You know I’m not fit for duty!”

“I seriously question that,” he retorted. “I always have, to be frank, but especially after today. Percy, you’ve never been stupid or inept; I have always felt we just didn’t understand how to teach you properly.”

“Well, yes, I mean that was the case—”

“I thought so,” he said smugly. “The dragons knew how, didn’t they? I know it hasn’t been that long, but you have grown noticeably since I last saw you.”

“There is still the matter of treaty,” Henrietta said. “If Franz declines coronation in favor of his sister it will be a foundational breach of the unification of old Boisverd and Ackenbrough, which is young enough that there are Acken Houses which will not only seek to secede, but likely gather enough support to prevail.”

“The nobles aren’t the only factor, though,” Franz insisted. “Percy is a popular hero now. To the extent there is definitely going to be a faction with a lot of public support that wants her to be Queen—that plus actually having the resources of the crown could well be enough to hold onto it.”

“Wait, what?” Percy exclaimed. “Franz, this is not the time for jokes.”

“My dear sister, I have never been more serious. Percy, think about what you’ve just done! With as many soldiers as saw the scene in that courtyard, not to mention whoever might have been peeking out through the windows, there will be no keeping the story from spreading. The Palace is already buzzing about how you were abducted by our ancient enemy the dragons, and managed to charm and persuade them into returning with you to aid Boisverd in its greatest hour of need. A bard couldn’t come up with anything better!”

“Yes, exactly,” she said, nodding. “Just think how much worse it’ll look once the truth comes out! And it will, Franz, it always does.”

“Percy.” Her brother stepped forward and gently took both her hands in his own. “The truth did come out. That is literally what happened.”

Staring at him, Percy opened her mouth. Then, no sound emerged, and her eyes seemed to go out of focus, as if she were struggling to process new information inconsistent with her understanding of the world.

“He’s right, you know,” Izayaroa said, amused. “Yes, there are nuances—but be mindful of your biases, Percy. You are prone to an unfairly low opinion of yourself.”

“Not only that,” Franz continued, “but everyone in that courtyard just watched you shout at two dragons until they behaved. One even made a speech about how you taught him the meaning of kindness. Percy, you are a national hero. The people will follow you. There’s a good chance they’ll follow you so emphatically that squirrelly nobles won’t dare press the issue. I have already heard two passing servants speaking excitedly of Percy the Dragon Tamer.”

“NO!” Percy shouted, leaping bodily between Franz and Izayaroa and waving her arms about. “Absolutely not! Nobody should be saying that! Franz, dragons are very proud! If there’s any suggestion that I tamed them there will be every last hell to pay!”

“Don’t worry, nobody’s stupid enough to say it in front of them.” Franz paused, and then winced. “Or…so I would have preferred to assume, but I suppose we shall have to fall back on not letting people talk with the dragons at all. Pheneraxa has already overheard it, but fortunately she found it very funny. I’m not sure I want to risk that with the rest. Ah, no offense intended, your Excellency. I presumed you would be poised under any and all circumstances.”

“Wait, is Raxa still here?” Percy demanded.

“Ah, yes,” said Henrietta. “Most of them have gone home, but Pheneraxa refused to leave until she was absolutely satisfied you were well. Do go speak to her as soon as we are done here, please. She is somewhat more personable than I expected from a dragon, but does not strike me as a person who bears impatience with grace.”

“I like her,” Franz said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, she is fully occupied making friends with the kitchen staff. The chefs have never had such an appreciative audience for their craft; they seem to be competing to find out how many delicacies can be fit inside one dragon.”

Kaln rubbed at his forehead with one hand. “Could be worse, I suppose…”

“But anyway, this isn’t… I am still not suitable to be Queen. Right, Izayaroa?”

Henrietta and Franz turned expectant looks upon the dragon, the former with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

“Let me pose you a question, Percy,” Izayaroa said smoothly. “Do you understand why I changed the color of my scales during the confrontation in the courtyard?”

Percy frowned. “Actually…no. I was going to ask you about that. I understand why it would be problematic for the Empress of Rhivaak to involve herself in our internal affairs, but… I mean, that doesn’t even work as a disguise does it? It’s not like there are any other black dragons hereabouts. Also, you have, um…a face. I guess most people probably don’t know any of you by sight, but I’m sure there are drawings and depictions of all of you and you have recognizably different faces for anybody who pays attention. It’s not just color.”

“You can think of no purpose such a minor and seemingly ineffectual alteration would have?” Izayaroa prompted. “I am pleased to see you took note and have given it thought. No conclusions, however?”

Grimacing, Percy shook her head. “I’m sorry. I know you’re testing me now, and I’m failing.”

“The concept of failure is useless in learning,” said the dragon, gently touching her shoulder with one claw. “The purpose of tests is to ascertain how much the student knows, and what they must yet learn. Given our progress thus far, I am satisfied to see you noticing details and considering their implications. Your Majesty?”

“It was a conciliatory gesture, Percy,” Henrietta explained, turning back to her daughter. “Proper deception and plausible deniability are different tools, appropriate for different circumstances. Had Izayaroa effectively disguised herself, her identity would still have been deducible by the absence of one known dragon and the presence of an apparently new one, and all parties would consider that evidence of her planning some ongoing interference. A token disguise acknowledges that we all know who the local black dragon is, but that she is not involving herself in her capacity as Empress. No, it does not withstand scrutiny, and it would give me cause to declare war upon the Empire, were I insane enough to do such a thing. Had she appeared openly as herself, in front of so many witnesses, I would politically have no choice but to take it as a sign of formal hostility from the Empire and attempt to prosecute a futile and disastrous conflict.”

“These nuances are purely situational, Percy,” Izayaroa said. “Among Zouzhi, for example, such a half-hearted deception is an insult and a provocation. Every Vale culture I with which I have interacted appreciates an offer of plausible deniability.”

“I see,” Percy sighed. “But…that proves my point, doesn’t it? I’m not ready.”

“In my opinion,” said Izayaroa, “as one who has been tutoring you, your potential is immense. I believe you have every prospect of becoming a great Queen one day, if that is the path you wish to pursue. At this moment, however, I think placing you upon a throne about to preside over the kind of conflict Boisverd seemingly is soon to suffer would be consigning you to a fate I would not wish upon any student of mine, nor anyone about whom I care.”

“That’s…yeah.” Percy turned back to her family, nodding. “Me as Queen isn’t an option. Or… Well, I guess it would be better to say it isn’t a solution. Even if we consider it an option, it’s not better than the other two. Mother… I want to keep studying. Learning under Izayaroa is an opportunity I would be insane to pass up.”

“You wish to return to Dragonvale, then, whatever befalls?” Henrietta asked gently.

Percy nodded again. “It’ll be different, now. I can visit easily, and I will often; it takes all of half an hour to fly here by dragon. Pheneraxa at least is usually glad to bring me places. But… I’m just not ready. And if anything, this adds another wrinkle. If I were to become the Queen of Boisverd, I would have to still turn to Izayaroa for advice and guidance, because I would be insane not to, and that…well, that would give Rhivaak a lot of sway over Boisverd. Wouldn’t it?”

“For the record, Rhivaak has no interest in such,” said Izayaroa, “but you are correct, Percy—even the appearance of it would be gravely damaging, politically.”

“All right,” said Kaln. “All things considered, your Majesty, I am inclined to grant your request, if it should prove that you are forced to take advantage of it. But let’s seek another path forward before we resort to that, shall we?”

“I am grateful, sir,” Henrietta replied, inclining her head deeply. “But… We? The problems of Boisverd are not your own.”

“I have a feeling matters are not going to be that simple,” he said, “especially after I just publicly declared friendship. Dragonvale is right now emerging as a member of the community of nations, and we’re unavoidably in a very odd position. It seems like the collapse of our nearest neighbor and declared friend would affect us a great deal. Am I right, Izayaroa?”

“Quite so, husband,” she agreed. “The offer of asylum to Percy’s family is the extent of the obligation personal friendship with her places upon us. In terms of our interests… Even aside from how the loss of an ally will reflect upon us, it also matters a great deal that Boisverd is an immediate neighbor. Given that we have just established that Dragonvale is no longer…how did you put it your Majesty, a zone of instant death? A succession crisis, civil war, or any other massive disruption in Boisverd will result in a flood of refugees, perhaps the thing we are least equipped to handle.”

“Well…it’s not as if we don’t have space?” Kaln offered.

Izayaroa shook her head. “We have wilderness and a few ancient structures barely fit to be inhabited. They can be brought up to useful status, but…how quickly? And let us not forget that more of the local dragons than otherwise are not accustomed to being around large numbers of people. The question is not whether some terrible accident will occur, but how soon and how bad. The arrival of a lot of people leaves no realistic options that won’t be a propaganda victory for the numerous forces which will inevitably wish to discredit us, and that includes turning them away at the border. The truth, husband, is that in this case, friendship and state affairs are not in conflict. It is in our best interests to stabilize Boisverd under its current regime.”

“That would certainly help us,” Franz pointed out, turning to his mother. “Especially if they’re willing to declare it so, openly.”

“Having to be propped up by dragons in the long term would be… Well, the farthest thing from ideal,” she said, tightening her mouth, “but I fear we are not in a position to refuse. That will earn us the enmity of much of the Evervales, and open up further avenues of attack from opportunistic forces internally. Weak rulers do not last long in the Vales, and a ruler who is dependent upon foreign aid is, by definition, weak.”

“We’ve survived that way this long, though,” Franz pointed out.

“Yes,” the Queen sighed, “and here I had just finally slipped out from under the burden. Your arrival is oddly timely for us, Lord Zelekhir. Holding—at least on paper—the fief of Dragonvale has entitled Boisverd to a great deal of material support from the other Vale states, but our reliance upon that support has given them a burdensome degree of weight in our internal affairs. I had only just stabilized the country’s finances enough to do away with it, and found a way to unload our claim to Dragonvale itself. And now…it seems we must only transfer our dependence.”

“Husband, do not be in a rush to accept that offer,” Izayaroa said quickly. “Annexing or vassalizing Boisverd would only protect it from external attack—a service we can still provide as declared allies, without opening ourselves up to the responsibility of governing this territory. The problem of fractious internal forces would still persist, and in fact probably be exacerbated by our control, even if indirect. It would also position us on the world stage as conquerors. If you wish to be so, that is one thing…”

“I very much do not,” Kaln said with a sigh. “Well this is…quite the tangle. We do need to help the von Holtzman regime stand, it seems—for both political and personal reasons. But every means we have of contributing to that will only add more difficulties.”

“Perhaps I could offer a suggestion?” Nashma said suddenly.

Kaln managed not to outright jump, and then had to quash down his embarrassment at having entirely forgotten she was there.

“Ah,” he said ruefully, “I have once again been unforgivably rude. Your Highness, your Majesty, I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

“We are all having a day,” Nashma said with an amused smile. “I for one am content not to add to it by taking unnecessary umbrage.”

“Queen Henrietta and Prince Franz of Boisverd,” Kaln said with as much aplomb as he felt he could still muster, “may I present Princess Nashma of Shamissar.”

“Your Highness,” Henrietta said with surprise. “Please, be welcome to my kingdom and my house. I apologize most humbly for neglecting you—I must confess I had taken you for one of Lord Zelekhir’s retainers.”

“Think nothing of it, your Majesty,” Nashma said smoothly. “I gather you don’t see many dragonborn in this part of the world. No harm has been done, to my person or my dignity. With regard to the matter at hand—I’ve heard it said that the ally of my ally is, at least, a potential trading partner. One of the immediate results of Atraximos’s absence will be the opening of this formerly insular region to trade, now that merchants can reliably travel here.”

“I have, of course, considered that,” Henrietta said slowly. “Geography still matters, however. The Vales have several excellent deepwater ports on the west coast and one on the east which will surely see an economic boon. Boisverd is landlocked, however.”

“But you are now open to trade with Rhivaak,” said Nashma, “which also has shipping routes and, last I heard, reasonably forgiving tariffs. Understand that I am here…sort of by accident; I am not empowered to make trade deals on behalf of Shamissar. I believe my father will be interested in the possibilities if I suggest them, however. I understand that Boisverd could benefit from a source of liquid currency, which the Sovereignty has in abundance at present.”

“In exchange for what?” Henrietta asked. “At such an extreme distance…”

“Indeed,” Nashma agreed, “the commodities likeliest to travel such distances are…luxuries. Verdi honey is, of course, known for its high quality throughout the world. As I recall, this region also produces silver, turquoise, opals, and several colors of marble and granite which are unique to the area. Not to mention several animal species that to us would be quite exotic.”

“You knew all that off the top of your head?” Franz asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It behooves a royal to be well-informed,” Nashma replied with a smile, “as I am sure your Highness knows well. The prospects for trade are limited, but the specific commodities…quite lucrative, for all parties. I believe my father would see great benefit in establishing an early and preferential foothold in the markets of Boisverd.”

“I would be willing to grant him quite a lot,” Henrietta replied with an intent stare, “for sole purchase and distribution rights among the Vale states for Missari alpaca wool.”

“I am sure he would be amenable to discussing that, your Majesty. I will contact my father at the earliest opportunity about sending a trade delegation.”

“A nice economic coup like that would help advance her Majesty’s reputation,” Izayaroa mused, “and her control of access to exotic luxuries in particular would buy compliance from at least some of the nobility. Dragonvale as allies will discourage foreign invasion; if Pheneraxa or the rest of us visit regularly it will help to cement that impression, and carrying Percy provides a sufficiently peaceable reason. We must be careful not to overplay our own hand—or, I suppose, our claw—lest it reflect poorly upon our own foreign policy priorities.”

“Of which I will need to make some,” Kaln said, frowning. “I see I need to do some studying of current Vale politics beyond Boisverd…”

“The situation is exceedingly complicated,” said Izayaroa. “Fraught, and perilous, for us all. But it is not, I think, untenable. If you are open to cooperation, your Majesty… I am reasonably confident that your rule can be solidified again. We have no intention of solving everyone’s problems for them, but a peaceful Boisverd under a smooth continuity of government serves Dragonvale’s interests better than any of the alternatives.”

“Let it never be said that I am too proud to accept the aid of an ally,” Henrietta replied, “even if it means bowing my head.”

“If you would like to continue discussing specifics while we have time, please do,” said Kaln. “Prince Franz, would you be good enough to show me where you last saw Pheneraxa?”

“Ah, yes, it would be good to include her in this discussion,” Percy agreed, nodding. “Pheneraxa is exceptionally well-read, I’m sure she will have valuable insight.”

“True,” Kaln said gravely, “but in the short term I am more worried about her eating literally everything in this Palace, and I’m afraid that is not hyperbole.”