"As my Uncle is a regicide, your oath is invalid both under the laws of man and the gods."
"And what proof do you have of this terrible crime?"
The Chancellor spoke, "Count Hythar, Lysandros' Chief Intelligencer, has admitted to poisoning Great King Kaiphranos under Lysandros' orders."
"How was this information obtained?"
"Under torture, of course. We broke him on the rack, but it wasn't a tainted confession. He gave collaborating details, including who provided the poisoning agent. If you want, you can question him yourself, Your Highness."
Phidestros did not trust men who changed the color of their cloaks so quickly, like Lyphannes. "I will want to see him and the Great Queen after our discussion."
"Very well, Your Highness. Do understand, his health at the moment is quite fragile."
"Chancellor, I've broken a few men myself. I know the effects of rigorous questioning. Of course, if these charges are true, my oaths to Lysandros will be invalidated."
"Exactly," Selestros said. "Your support, as the vanquisher of the Great Usurper, will go a long way in validating my claim to the Iron Throne. To show my appreciation, I will be more than willing to increase your possessions in Greater Beshta, with the addition of the Princedom of Sask. Prince Sthentros, who has claimed the crown of both Hostigos and Sask, will be removed. He was illegally appointed Prince by the regicide and I do not favor traitors, even those that aid the Throne."
Phidestros was impressed with the Selestros' directness and the underlying threat. The implication being that Phidestros' own Princedom, granted to him by King Lysandros, was of uncertain claim were he not to fully support the Prince in his bid to be Great King. On the other hand, there wasn't an army in the Five Kingdoms that could take his lands away from him.
"Your Highness, you do realize that these former Princedoms of Hos-Hostigos are void of not only subjects but farms, towns and even villages? I doubt there are more than fifty thousand people alive in Hostigos and Sask combined."
"This is true, Your Highness," Selestros said, "but we have many subjects here in the City who have no jobs and too much time on their hands; now many are without homes due to the riots. We will provide you with a hundred thousand new subjects for your new princedom of Sask."
Yes, take all the scum out of the gaols and off the gibbets and move them into my lands.
"Your Highness, I have heard stories of how you took the camp followers that trailed your Army home from Ulthor and turned them into hard-working subjects."
Phidestros nodded. We won't discuss at what cost. At least a quarter of them tried to escape and were later rounded-up and hanged. Of course, many of the rest have turned into good subjects. "They will do, although I also want to bring any guildsmen and craftsmen from the City that might volunteer to come along."
"Of course," Selestros said with a smug look.
As a former apprentice, Phidestros knew there were plenty of young guildsmen and artisans frustrated by the old men who ran the guilds with all their regulations devised to keep them in their place. Selestros would come to rue the day he so cavalierly gave into that provision.
"Now, Your Highness, is there any truth to the rumors that Dralm will be elevated above all other gods and Styphon and His House will be banished from Hos-Harphax?"
Selestros got a beatific expression on his face. "It is Allfather Dralm's will that all the True Gods be worshipped at the same table, although Allfather sits at the head of that table. The False God Styphon, a demon in disguise, is to be driven from the Kingdom, his Temples destroyed and his false priests gathered up and imprisoned."
Aha, thought Phidestros. A quick infusion of gold into the Kingdom's coffers from Styphon's Temples was what the Prince was counting on. He will also be purchasing the undying enmity of Styphon's House. This would mean war with Styphon's House, although at the moment their armies were spread out all over the Five Kingdoms and into the Middle Kingdoms as well.
Phidestros could always renounce his allegiance to Selestros if and when it turned to his advantage. He owed this young tosspot nothing, while Selestros would never dare to sit in his father's Seat if not for his support.
"I'm not certain that this is a wise policy, Your Highness. After Grand Master Soton has devoured Hos-Agrys with his army, he will turn his soldiers loose on Hos-Harphax."
"This is why we will support the League of Dralm with soldiers and gold, thus thwarting Soton's conquest of Hos-Agrys. I have consulted with Great King Sopharar's ambassador; he is willing to make an alliance with Hos-Harphax against Styphon's House if we agree to join the League of Dralm and promise ten thousand soldiers and five hundred thousand ounces of gold." Prince Selestros smiled. "Which will come from the gold taken from Styphon's temple domes!"
This is unexpected, thought Phidestros, while keeping his face expressionless. He had thought that he and Arminta were aware of the latest intelligence, but apparently not all of it. His wife would find this most interesting. I wonder what my father will make of this new turn of events? It will not be to his liking, and may cause him to remove his brother from the Ivory Throne earlier than planned. Whichever way this works, it will be to my advantage.
"In essence, Your Highness, I agree that Styphon's House needs to be reined in. For too long, they have considered themselves to be a power above the kingdoms' princes, and even great kings. However, while I grant that a great king has the power to make treaties and alliances with outside powers, I do not believe that any great king or temple has the power to order its princes to abolish the worship of another god, or pronounce any one temple as superior to all others."
Selestros looked troubled. "I promised the Allfather that I would abolish the worship of the False God Styphon within the borders of Hos-Harphax."
"Your Highness, I do not argue that you cannot put forth such a proposition; however, it is up to each individual Prince of Hos-Harphax as to whether or not he abides by your decision. I will not. However, the other princes, if suitably rewarded with a share of Styphon's House Temple loot, may strongly support your decision. Of all your princes, only Prince Thukyblos of Dazour has remained a member of the Union of Styphon's Friends."
The Chancellor sensing a deal-breaker, cut in with, "Your Highness, Prince Phidestros makes a strong case. You cannot force all of your subjects to renounce Styphon's House without throwing the Kingdom into open rebellion or war. Is this not the very tactic that Styphon's House has taken with Great King Demistophon?
"Furthermore, with your uncle Lysandros soon to return, truly we cannot afford any such divisions now. Haven't we been through enough wars with the war against the False Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos, the war in Phaxos, the wars in Thaphigos and now one with your uncle, the regicide? To start a new war against the false god Styphon will only tax your strength and that of your subjects unnecessarily. Wait until the Fireseed Wars are over. Then you can decree whatever you wish."
Phidestros noted with that last statement that the Chancellor's eyes did not meet his own. In their minds, I've already been thrown to the wolves! Won't they be surprised when they see just how big my teeth are.
"There is wisdom in your words, Your Highness," Selestros conceded.
"Right, Your Highness," Chancellor Kyphannes added. "I'm sure that the Allfather will understand that you cannot ban Styphon's House from the Kingdom in a single moon. Besides, with its Investigation, Styphon's House has a rat gnawing inside its stomach that will one day devour the entire body."
"In return," Selestros looked right into Phidestros' eyes, "I expect full support from you in my war against the Regicide."