vast distance not been difficult almost to impossibility.
"Sulien my cousin, I write to you rather than to Urdo because I was an idiot and allowed Lukas to forbid me to write to Urdo. As it is a thing without honor and against the borders of hospitality I should have written to Urdo
in any case except that the stratagem of writing to you occurred to me, that I need not break the promise my husband extorted by force nor yet the sacred bonds of kinship and hospitality I share with you and with Urdo alike. It did not occur to him to forbid me to write to you."
I almost laughed at the words and the thought of ap Theophilus imposing anything on Rigg by force. She overtopped him by a foot and could have broken him in half with one hand.
"The Jarnsmen of Jarnholme and their king Arling Gunnarsson have sent to Caer Custenn for help againstthe high kingdom of Tir Tanagiri. The Emperor Sabbat-ian, badly advised by my husband Lukas ap Theophilus, has made alliance with them, and has sent them some devices of war."
Her Vincan had improved markedly, I noticed, but whatever the devices were she either didn't know the word for them or wasn't telling me.
"This is his business and none of mine, even should Arling attack you. You are strong in arms, besides having horses which he does not. But I learned privily what it was that the Vincan Empire gained in exchange and this is a concern. It seems that Urdo's nephew Morthu ap Talorgen is allied with this Arling and he is sending Sabbatian plans and models of many things used in your country such as waterwheels and flails for threshing wheat. Lukas says it is known that Urdo would keep all such knowledge for himself and refuse to share it. Further he says that we give arts of war and gain arts of peace, which is a loss on our side. Truly men can be fools sometimes. However all this may be, this Morthu is a traitor and you and Urdo should withdraw all trust in him. He is the man the queen believed had harmed her; it seems she had good reason to hate him."
I stared at this dumbfounded for a moment. This was something I had wanted for years, Page 27
proof of Morthu's treachery which Urdo must believe. Yet it said nothing of the alliance I knew of, with Marchel, and everything about a different alliance nobody knew about, with Arling.
"With this I send my respects to you and to your family, and to Urdo and his queen, wishing her safe increase. I should say that Lukas and the girls join me in these good wishes, and I am sure they would if they only knew I was writing. The girls are too young yet to understand secrets. The younger I have called Laris after my aunt who was your grandmother, so you see family is not forgotten even so far away! The elder is called Helena after Lukas's mother. Oh, but we had a fight about that and I let Lukas win that time. They are riding already. The new baby will be born soon, and I am weary with waiting. I am warleader of Sabbatian's cavalry, what time I am not too great with child to ride. My horses are well and also foaling. I will send this letter with a friend of mine who will be going to Jarnholme with the devices, and he will contrive to send it across the narrow seas on a Narlahenan ship. So you will have this news not long after they have their machines."
I would have to send this news to Urdo at once. An alliance with our open enemies would condemn Morthu even in the eyes of his supporters. Flavien and Cinon might hate Urdo, but surely they must hate Arling more? I blessed Rigg in my heart and was glad she was happy and thriving in distant Caer Custenn.
There was only one letter left and it was a great, thick one. My heart sank to see it. I had to turn it to the light to read the salutation.
"From Gwyn ap Talorgen, Lord of Angas, King of Demedia, at Dun Idyn, to Sulien ap Gwien, Lord and King of
Derwen, at Derwen, or to her hand wherever she may be."
Angas. I knew there must be something terribly wrong for him to write to me at this length. I
"Sulien my cousin, I write to you rather than to Urdo because I was an idiot and allowed Lukas to forbid me to write to Urdo. As it is a thing without honor and against the borders of hospitality I should have written to Urdo
in any case except that the stratagem of writing to you occurred to me, that I need not break the promise my husband extorted by force nor yet the sacred bonds of kinship and hospitality I share with you and with Urdo alike. It did not occur to him to forbid me to write to you."
I almost laughed at the words and the thought of ap Theophilus imposing anything on Rigg by force. She overtopped him by a foot and could have broken him in half with one hand.
"The Jarnsmen of Jarnholme and their king Arling Gunnarsson have sent to Caer Custenn for help againstthe high kingdom of Tir Tanagiri. The Emperor Sabbat-ian, badly advised by my husband Lukas ap Theophilus, has made alliance with them, and has sent them some devices of war."
Her Vincan had improved markedly, I noticed, but whatever the devices were she either didn't know the word for them or wasn't telling me.
"This is his business and none of mine, even should Arling attack you. You are strong in arms, besides having horses which he does not. But I learned privily what it was that the Vincan Empire gained in exchange and this is a concern. It seems that Urdo's nephew Morthu ap Talorgen is allied with this Arling and he is sending Sabbatian plans and models of many things used in your country such as waterwheels and flails for threshing wheat. Lukas says it is known that Urdo would keep all such knowledge for himself and refuse to share it. Further he says that we give arts of war and gain arts of peace, which is a loss on our side. Truly men can be fools sometimes. However all this may be, this Morthu is a traitor and you and Urdo should withdraw all trust in him. He is the man the queen believed had harmed her; it seems she had good reason to hate him."
I stared at this dumbfounded for a moment. This was something I had wanted for years, Page 27
proof of Morthu's treachery which Urdo must believe. Yet it said nothing of the alliance I knew of, with Marchel, and everything about a different alliance nobody knew about, with Arling.
"With this I send my respects to you and to your family, and to Urdo and his queen, wishing her safe increase. I should say that Lukas and the girls join me in these good wishes, and I am sure they would if they only knew I was writing. The girls are too young yet to understand secrets. The younger I have called Laris after my aunt who was your grandmother, so you see family is not forgotten even so far away! The elder is called Helena after Lukas's mother. Oh, but we had a fight about that and I let Lukas win that time. They are riding already. The new baby will be born soon, and I am weary with waiting. I am warleader of Sabbatian's cavalry, what time I am not too great with child to ride. My horses are well and also foaling. I will send this letter with a friend of mine who will be going to Jarnholme with the devices, and he will contrive to send it across the narrow seas on a Narlahenan ship. So you will have this news not long after they have their machines."
I would have to send this news to Urdo at once. An alliance with our open enemies would condemn Morthu even in the eyes of his supporters. Flavien and Cinon might hate Urdo, but surely they must hate Arling more? I blessed Rigg in my heart and was glad she was happy and thriving in distant Caer Custenn.
There was only one letter left and it was a great, thick one. My heart sank to see it. I had to turn it to the light to read the salutation.
"From Gwyn ap Talorgen, Lord of Angas, King of Demedia, at Dun Idyn, to Sulien ap Gwien, Lord and King of
Derwen, at Derwen, or to her hand wherever she may be."
Angas. I knew there must be something terribly wrong for him to write to me at this length. I
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