John Carr - Siege of Tarr-Hostigos

Nestros looked perplexed. "Kalvan and I are friends-at least, I think we are."

"Are you willing to wager your title and kingdom on this supposition of friendship with a man of dubious origin, one whose wife who willfully attacks princes of another Great King?" Anaxthenes asked.

"I don't know-Kalvan is a great warrior and in all matters that I have observed appears to be a man of honor. However, he did spend a lot of time drinking with the barbarian, Sargos."

"I have heard this Sargos is a man of rude appearance and a nomad's demeanor. What nobility could such a man have?"

"He is a man of great strength and fights with honor, but he cannot hold his drink and he listens too much to his women."

"As does Kalvan, who gives the appearance of a household out of order; either that be truth, or he is much more devious and dangerous than he has been credited," Danthor said, as if both statements were the truth and completely obvious.

Danthor would make a good ally and Archpriest, thought Anaxthenes, but one he would have to keep an eye on.

"If I cannot trust Kalvan, whom can I trust?"

Anaxthenes held his hands out. "You do have other friends."

Nestros blinked, looking sheepish.

"Before leaving Hos-Ktemnos I had an audience with Great King Cleitharses and he expressed an interest in your welfare. Since both Hos-Ktemnos and your new Great Kingdom of Hos-Rathon share a common border, Cleitharses thought a mutual alliance between both Great Kingdoms might be of mutual benefit."

Somehow Nestros managed to combine the appearance of both being stunned and thoughtful at the same time, which left him looking like the town idiot. "Does this mean Great King Cleitharses would recognize my title?"

"Of course. As allies Great King Cleitharses could hardly refuse to recognize the new overlord of the Trygath. Both kingdoms would be bound by treaty to recognize each other's titles and territorial claims."

Nestros all but jumped up out of his throne and clapped his hands. "This is what I have always dreamed-" Nestros reddened, when he realized what his loose tongue had said. He regained his composure. "Yes, I would welcome an alliance with the Great Kingdom of Hos-Ktemnos. Would this mean that my title would also be recognized by Hos-Harphax and Hos-Agrys?"

Archpriest Anaxthenes smiled. "Yes, this would mean recognition by all the legitimate Great Kings of the Five Kingdoms, as well as the Order of Zarthani Knights. However, before we can continue these negotiations, there is a painful subject that we must broach."

Nestros' expression resembled that of a beached fish.

Archpriest Anaxthenes smiled. "Of course, Styphon's House will require compensation for the destruction of sixteen Styphon's House temples, including the High Temple of Rathon Town, that occurred while the Usurper Kalvan used Hos-Rathon to stage his invasion of the Order's provinces. Of course, you will assist in the re-building of all the destroyed temples and replacing the golden domes at a cost of a ten thousand rakmars per temple. We will also expect you to help found fifty new temples. Sadly, the priests who were murdered during the sacking of the temples cannot be replaced; however, a thousand nomad slaves will provide some compensation for the Temple and their families' losses." Anaxthenes continued with a list of conditions, declaration and reparations. "Finally, we will require a declaration from you declaring the Usurper to be an outlaw and voiding any and all earlier treaties and agreements with the false king of Hostigos."

Nestros was reeling; his ruddy complexion blanched to the color of fresh snow. "What about Prince Ptosphes and his party? What will I tell them?"

"Get rid of them. Send them back to Hos-Hostigos. Or let Styphon's Own Guard place them under arrest." Anaxthenes smiled at the thought of leading a chain of Hostigi prisoners into Balph headed by Prince Ptosphes, Chancellor Chartiphon and Prince Phrames. Investigator Roxthar would be so busy that the Inner Circle might be spared the Investigator's harangues for half a moon, at least!

Nestros' shook his head as if he were rising out of a deep pool. "Your blade of negotiations is double-edged. I must meet with my advisors and talk again to the Hostigi delegation. You demand too much, Archpriest! Kalvan has warned me about how you priests speak out of both sides of your mouth. Yet, he has not always been forthright with me, either-I wonder about all those wagon trains going from the Sastragath into Hostigos."

Anaxthenes let his fish wriggle against the hook, then set it. "It's your choice, Your Majesty. You can stay an outlaw and outside of the Five Kingdoms-remaining a provincial lord who claims to be a Great King. Or you can join your equals and be one with the Great Kingdoms. We will discuss this further after the sun rises."

The assembled princes, barons, highpriests, kinsmen and captain-generals filled the Great Council Hall at Tarr-Harphax with their fur robes, velvet finery and silvered breastplates. Duke Mnestros noted with interest that the smaller the realm, the larger and more colorful the plumage. He even recognized a few princes from the northern princedoms of Hos-Ktemnos, although the majority of the Ktemnoi nobles, including Great King Cleitharses, were too far away to attend on such short notice.

Most noticeable, however, by their absence were the Great Kings of Hos-Agrys and Hos-Zygros. Of all the Great Northern Kingdoms, only the recently crowned Great King Lysandros was in attendance. The piglet going by the name of Great King Demistophon was still hiding in his palace, blaming his loss in Nostor to Prince Ptosphes on Styphon's House, while the Great King of Hos-Zygros had sent two parchments ripe with excuses why he would not be able to attend the Great Council of the Union of Friends of Styphon's House.

It was a pity about the death of King Sopharar's only son, but Prince Pariphon was doomed at birth. His uncle, now Prince Eudocles, wanted nothing more than to be Great King, and like Lysandros here, only fratricide stood between him and his heart's desire. It was unfortunate for Hos-Agrys, thought Mnestros, that Demistophon was an only son and the issue of a long-lived line.

As the representative of the Princedom of Ubros, Duke Mnestros was one of the few pro-League of Dralm nobles in attendance. He had offered to take his father's place to better learn the faces and names of their enemies. Few outside of Ubros knew of his captaincy in Kalvan's army, since the fighting last year had been on the frontier, but he still felt like a plucked turkey dropped into a kennel at feeding time. He was surrounded on all sides by yellow robed highpriests and Styphoni sympathizers.

As the organizer of the Union's first council, Great King Lysandros was seated on a raised dais to the right of Captain-General Phidestros, the commander of the Grand Host. To Phidestros' left were seated Grand Master Soton, who looked as if he'd rather be any place else, and Archpriest Phyllos in the yellow robes with red trim of the Inner Circle of Styphon's House. Phyllos, a great debaucher, was said to be concealing both his gold and his mistresses so they would be safely hidden when Investigator Roxthar arrived in the spring. Soton, who was said to have just arrived from Balph by horseback, looked drawn and fatigued. Seated he appeared normal sized, but the Grand Master was reported to be much shorter when on his feet.

Great King Lysandros made a chopping motion which stopped the noisy chatter that filled the room. Lysandros, with his short black beard and black hair, now shot with silver since Kalvan's arrival, made an imposing figure as he rose to his feet. "Grand Master Soton," Lysandros paused to give Soton-who was sitting besides Phidestros-a nod, before continuing, "has told us of the preparations the Order and our allies in Hos-Ktemnos have made for the invasion of the False Kingdom of Hostigos. The Grand Host will be joined by eight thousand Brethren of the Holy Order of Zarthani Knights, four thousand Holy Warriors from Hos-Ktemnos and two thousand Order foot. We have been told Great King Cleitharses will be supporting the war with the reformed Royal Square and six of the Sacred Squares of Hos-Ktemnos."