Kerus pointed to a set of tracks in the snow and said, “I made those this afternoon when I came here to think about what I could safely tell you.” He glanced around one more time, seeing if anyone could overhear the conversation, then continued. “When Rodric the Third died, everyone expected Erland would take the crown. After the official mourning, the Priests of Ishap called all the possible heirs forward to present their claims. You were expected to be one of them.”
Borric nodded “I know the custom. I was late getting to the city. I would have renounced the claim in any event, so there was no importance in my absence.”
Kerus nodded. “History might have been different had you been here, Borric.” He lowered his voice. “I risk my neck by saying this, but many, even those of us here in the East, would have urged you to take the crown.”
Borric’s expression showed he did not like hearing this, but Kerus pressed on. “By the time you got here, all the back-hallway politics had been done—with most lords content to give the crown to Erland—but it was a tense day and a half while the issue was in doubt. Why the elder Rodric didn’t name an heir I don’t know. But when the priests had chased away all the distant kin with no real claim, three men stood before them, Erland, young Rodric, and Guy du Bas-Tyra. The priests asked for their declarations, and each gave them in turn. Rodric and Erland both had solid claims, while Guy was there as a matter of form, as you would have been had you arrived in time.”
Arutha interjected dryly, “The time of mourning ensures no western Lord will be King.”
Borric threw a disapproving glance at his son, but Kerus said, “Not entirely. If there had been any doubt to the rights of succession, the priest would have held off the ceremony until your father arrived, Arutha. It has been done before.”
He looked at Borric and lowered his voice. “As I said, it was expected Erland would take the crown. But when the crown was presented to him, he refused, conceding the claim to Rodric. No one at that time knew of Erland’s ill health, so most lords judged the decision a generous affirmation of Rodric’s claim, as the only son of the King. With Guy du Bas-Tyra’s backing the boy, the assembled Congress of Lords ratified his succession. Then the real infighting began, until at last your late wife’s uncle was named as King’s Regent.”
Borric nodded. He remembered the battle over who would be named the then boy King’s Regent. His despised cousin Guy had nearly won the position, but Borric’s timely arrival and his support of Caldric of Rillanon, along with the support of Duke Brucal of Yabon and Prince Erland, had swung the majority of votes in the congress away from Guy.
“For the next five years there was only an occasional border clash with Kesh. Things were quiet. Eight years ago”—Kerus paused to glance around again—”Rodric embarked upon a program of public improvements, as he calls them, upgrading roads and bridges, building dams, and the like. At first they were of little burden, but the taxes have been increased yearly until now the peasants and freemen, even the minor nobles, are being bled white. The King has expanded his programs until now he is rebuilding the entire capital, to make it the greatest city known in the history of man, he says.
“Two years ago a small delegation of nobles came to the King and asked him to abjure this excessive spending and ease the burden upon the people. The King flew into a rage, accused the nobles of being traitors, and had them summarily executed.”
Borric’s eyes widened. The snow under his boot crunched dryly as he turned suddenly. “We’ve heard nothing of this in the West!”
“When Erland heard the news, he went immediately to the King and demanded reparation for the families of the nobles who were executed, and a lessening of the taxes. The King—or so it is rumored—was ready to seize his uncle, but was restrained by the few counselors he still trusted. They advised His Majesty that such an act, unheard of in the history of the Kingdom, would surely cause the western lords to rise up against the King.”
Borric’s expression darkened “They were right. Had that boy hanged Erland, the Kingdom would have been irretrievably split.”
“Since that time the Prince has not set foot in Rillanon, and the business of the Kingdom is handled by aides, for the two men will not speak to one another.”
The Duke looked skyward, and his voice became troubled. “This is much worse than I had heard. Erland told me of the taxes and his refusal to impose them in the West. He said that the King was agreed, for he understood the need of maintaining the garrisons of the North and West.”
Kerus slowly shook his head no. “The King agreed only when his aides painted pictures of goblin armies pouring down from the Northlands and plundering the cities of his Kingdom.”