PLANET 5 / CH. 5: SURRENDER (2/2)

----------------------------------------

NEAR THE HARBOUR

“Three portions of Dahel-style eels, please,” Hal said to the local woman at the little window from which the smells of exotic cooking were emanating. “And when she has time, your cook will want to speak to her compatriot, I expect.”

“Hmph, well I'm not hiring any extra help.”

“I doubt the Honourable Lady is looking for a second job.”

“Well, here's your eel. Enjoy.”

“I plan to,” Hal said, and handing her a note worth about four times what the eels cost, he added “You can keep the change, I'm in a generous mood.”

“Thank you sir. Thank you indeed!” the owner replied, greedily stuffing the note into a pocket. Hal noticed that she made no record of the transaction.

“Ah! Someone can cook,” Hayeel said, with a beautific smile on her face. “This is a good sauce. And the sea air is familiar too, even if the ships look like they should topple over. I should come here more often.”

A young woman timidly stuck her head out of the door, saw Hal and smiled in recognition and then saw Hayeel's formal robes, and the watchful soldiers and clutched the doorway for support. Esme heard her fear that some official was come to arrest her, and repeated that thought to Hal, who spoke, “Honourable lady, I apologise for the deceit, you yourself know the cook.”

Hayeel turned from looking out at the harbour to see who Hal meant and dropped her fork on the table. “Taheela? Taheela! You are here?”

Taheela did a double-take, daring for the first time to look at the face of the important personage. Food and decorum forgotten, the two sisters hugged and kissed each other, and in a flurry of joyful tears and questions in their mother tongue, recounted the last two years.

[You know?] Hal thought to Esme. [I think that worked rather well apart from Taheela almost getting a panic-attack.]

[How did you know she was here?]

[I'd heard they'd come earlier this year. It wasn't very comfortable there for new believers, and all the sailors loved her food and said she'd be able to easily earn her keep cooking, so they came. I sniffed around for her cooking the first evening I got here, but it wasn't hard to find. You should see the queues in the evening! The snack-bar owner isn't paying her a fair wage though. I'd suggest a surprise tax-audit if I thought she kept any records of her income.]

[Do you think Taheela knows how many portions she's cooked?]

[Probably. Certainly how much spice per portion, but they do sell other things the owner makes. Some, anyway.]

[You haven't asked me what I think of the eels.]

[You're thinking of being polite.]

[I'm not keen on this much spice. Maybe I ought to try normal-style.]

[Normal style round here means something I wouldn't recommend.]

[You recommended this.]

[Yes, OK, but would served cold in salt and old beer be better?]

[Maybe not.]

“No, I mean, what are the chances of all this?” one of the soldiers was asking. “It just so happens that his highness knows the Lady Ambassador's sister, while they have no idea that the other one is here? It's too much of a co-incidence.”

“Not to mention that he just happened to rescue the princess before he knew who she was,” chipped in his colleague.

“Attention!” growled the sergeant. “You can argue about divine providence when you're off duty.”

“Lady Hayeel,” Esme said, “I leave you with half these good soldiers for your protection. This is not the safest part of the city. I understand if you wish to spend the rest of the day with your relatives and wish to decline tonight's invitation. However, I would prefer more guests than less, so I ask you try to persuade your sister and her family to come with you.”

“You are too generous, highness!” Hayeel said.

“I serve a generous God, and am often not generous enough.” Esme replied “Sergeant, as well as providing protection for the Lady Ambassador and her relatives, I would like you to post men to ensure the owner of this snack-bar does not depart. One who cooks such tasty food should surely have better footwear than I see, and I suspect that rather than generosity, some exploitative work practices have been going on. I will be sending auditors along shortly, and I'll also return to the palace and I will order that you be properly reinforced as soon as possible.”

“At your command, highness,” the sergeant replied.

----------------------------------------

MEETING OF MINISTERS OF CANETH, 3PM

“Ministers, thank you for coming,” Esme said. “Outside you may have seen General Hagard and Crown Prince Hal, the peace negotiator for the Three Isles, who I have asked to be available for this meeting. Are there any matters that you wish to discuss that do not involve these good gentlemen?”

“May be be updated on your his majesty's state of health?”

“Father's strength is improving a little. He can hold a simple conversation from his bed for perhaps twenty minutes before becoming over-tired.”

“Thank you. Is there some cause you can share with us?”

“Sorry, I assumed you knew. I've recalled Grand-Vizier Tumbril, who is conducting a detailed investigation, but the assumption is that the drug that enabled my kidnapping and produced a number of headaches, lack of ability to concentrate and similar problems in the palace staff as well as my family, interacted badly with his heart medicine. My brother Henk then withheld my father's medicine entirely. For perhaps twenty-four hours, I'm told that was medically advisable. Beyond that period there is no such justification, and certainly not for eight days, his Majesty's physician informs me that the only motivation can have been to cause his Majesty's death. This is consistent with my kidnapping and detention, the irregular and unconstitutional arrangements that prince Henk instituted convincing some people that he was the heir in my absence, the employment of mercenaries in the palace, and the manner in which those mercenaries prevented even family members from visiting father. We might also be justified in adding the charge of fraudulently causing this war to my brother's account, as the so-called pirate vessel he was trying to escape was a customs vessel that actually carried ambassador Hagberry. Prince Hal brought that message, and before anyone suggests that it might have been written at knife-point or under duress, I can tell you that it included various key turns of phrase that Hagberry uses to state quite the opposite, none he uses to indicate duress, and also included information that prince Hal found most surprising.”

“Thank-you highness for your explanation. I have noticed that you are quite often in the prince's company at the moment.”

Esme smiled, “Indeed I am. Prince Hal came to Caneth with two goals in mind, one was to secure peace, and the other was to determine if Hagberry's descriptions of me were accurate and if he could persuade me to accept him as suitor. He was entirely willing to abandon that second plan when he was impressed by the resourcefulness of a young woman he was helping escape from an overly guarded barn, but then I told him who I was and he declared his intention to pursue me pretty much whatever I said. What neither of us knew about was that our fathers have been planning for some years to strongly suggest we consider a marriage. I'll add that Father has managed to keep it from pretty much everyone in the Three Isles that I'm heir-apparent, including Hagberry. They are expecting that at most Hal will bring home a peace treaty and a minor princess with a liking for books and a stubborn streak half a mile wide.”

“Only half, highness?” Minister Vazeth teased.

“Hagberry was always generous concerning me, Vazeth.” Esme turned to the minister for foreign affairs, “Yes, minister? You want to ask something.”

“The ambassador of Tesk has written in the last few hours asking if he could have an urgent discussion with me concerning what you'd said to him this morning.”

“Oh? Well I'd better tell you what I said, hadn't I?”

“He claimed it was clearly interference in Tesk's internal affairs, and possibly amounted to an act of war.”

“I'm sorry he's decided to interpret it that way. Certainly we parted company amicably enough. Tesk, as I assume you know, gives right of vote on their high council to any who can prove they have the Gift of Tesk, and want to give an opinion. I informed him that since meeting Hal, I have developed that gift.

"Unfortunately there is no one on Tesk with the gift who could balance my opinions, and there is no minimum number for a quorum, in effect making me dictator, should I decide to visit. I pointed out to the ambassador that it would be good if the lower house of the government of Tesk allowed Hal's sisters, who also have the gift, to visit too, to provide some balancing voices. But I also told him I had no intension of visiting. Now some of you are wondering how one just happens to develop such a gift. The exact mechanism is not known, but the male descendents of the king of the Isles — or maybe just the first-born son, I'm not sure — have something about them that enables the gift to develop in some women from Tesk. Yesterday, Hal lifted me out of the barn, through several windows, helped me avoid mercenaries and plan my return, then generally helped me get this ring and restore order in the palace. In the course of that time we shared dangers, surprises and some joy too, and attuned to each other, as those of Tesk are known to. Quite soon after I realised I was attuning to Hal, I found I could also get some thoughts from others. Yes, Vazeth, it would be very useful if I wanted to be a thief, but I don't, I've got plenty of excitement being a princess. Vazeth thinks I might not be able to hear thoughts about numbers, five four one five nine, and five point two five seventeenths. Can I point out Vazeth, that you told me I'd get strung up by my fingernails by the combined mathematicians of the world if I used decimals in a fraction? I'm glad you remember. Anyone else want to put me to the test? Yes, I agree, you really ought to stop listening at the keyhole, general. Does anyone object to the general and prince Hal coming in? Hal's at just about to get to the climax of the book he's borrowed from me, and I think this is the best time to drop some spoilers into his thoughts. Sorry, allow me to become serious. There are the deepest matters of state to discuss, matters that quite frankly scare me stupid in their potential to misfire. Clearly, I was too open with the ambassador from Tesk, I would rather avoid that mistake again. Minister, I am probably breaching protocol in another matter: I have invited the lady ambassador from Dahel to tea with my sisters, and of course prince Hal. It is an act of friendship to someone who thought she had no friends here. As she has as much Tesk blood as I do — from her late father — there is the possibility that she will develop similar insights to those I had after a couple of hours in Hal's company, and the full gift if she were invited for longer. I will tell you that she was not prepared for this role she is now in. She has copies of her dead-husband's orders, but putting it harshly, her assigned role was not negotiator but language-teacher and ornament. She shared more fully with Hal and me, but I do not wish to break personal confidences. She is assuming that either she will be replaced or sent a new student-come-husband. I believe it would be more useful to both them and us if neither of those happen, but instead she is entirely confirmed in her role. They do not have their own ocean-going ships, do not trust ours not to topple over, and Hal worked out that the earliest someone will arrive overland is early summer next year. She also said that if we send an ambassador, he will likely only meet the grand-vizier after three or four years, and their emperor after more than five.”

“You have learned a lot from her in such a short while, highness.” the foreign minister said.

“Blame the ambassador of Tesk. He was thinking predatory thoughts concerning keeping her ignorant of how things work here. Oh, and it is possible that the mystery drug that poisoned half the palace came from her. Her husband brought medicinal herbs and spices as trade-goods — hardly surprising since travel is so hard, and charming prince Henk learned this and introduced her to some kind of drug-dealer who was interested in the ones with more limited medicinal uses.”

“She's a drug-trader?” the minister for policing and internal affairs asked, shocked.

“No!” Esme said, very firmly, “She's a foreigner feeling lost and scared in a strange country, terrified of making a mistake that lands her in prison, whose only means of support is the things packed by a man she only knew as one student among many before the journey began. No doubt he got instructions on what to bring based on what traders from here buy. She was seriously worried about the things Henk's drug-trader friend bought from her, along with the price he was prepared to pay, even though the prince introduced them. But the fact she was left with potentially dangerous medicines to trade does not mean that she's at all comfortable with that fact.”

“But she knows what she has?” the same minister asked.

“The sacks are labelled. The royal physician will visit her tomorrow, and I expect she will be happy to identify the trader who bought the drugs from the embassy. She almost certainly gave him a formal receipt. On the subject of potentially dangerous medicines... father is now on a medicine that she knows only too well, as her mother used it. It is riskier than the medicine he used to use, but it has no interactions with other medicines, and it allows him to recover his strength.”

“In what way is it riskier?” the internal affairs minister asked.

“It is addictive, if he misses a day's dose, he is likely to die from the withdrawal symptoms. His normal medicine was not addictive, but as time goes on the body becomes used to getting rid of it, and it becomes ineffective. That reduction in efficacy meant that the doctor did not know how much he should give father. His previously normal dose might have been fatal, a normal starting dose was likely to have been insufficient. The present course of action provides father with a chance to recover, and then, once he has done so, his dose of the addictive medicine will be slowly reduced and he will be returned to his normal medicine. It may be that father overrules that decision. He may prefer the risk from missing a dose to the year or more of the withdrawal symptoms, and the doctor thought, but did not tell me, that it is possible that his long period without his medicine has so weakened him that he will not recover sufficiently to risk withdrawing the new. In Dahel it is much cheaper than it is through normal suppliers here, and it is one of the medicines the lady ambassador has. I intend to instruct the doctor to purchase half a year's supply from her, if that is possible. Hal has convinced me that three months is sufficient for a round-trip, so I am confident that such a stockpile, preserved in the treasury, would mean that no one holds Father's life at ransom. Does anyone not approve?”

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“May his majesty live a long life and recover fully,” the minister for foreign affairs said.

“I do not approve the whole stockpile being in the treasury, highness.” Vazeth said. “It would have been a strong inducement to open the gates during this past crisis.”

“One week's supply to be kept in reserve at all times by mother,” Esme said, “and any member of the royal family or the royal physician can request release of a week's supply during a crisis, more in such a case that his majesty must evacuate.”

“Under those conditions, certainly, highness-regent.” Vazeth said.

“Is there more business before we get to the main agenda item?”

There wasn't, and so the general and Hal were invited in. At Esme's request, the general outlined the other motives that the King had had for the declaration of war, and Hal described what had happened to the Adventure, and what effect the trade-war was having on the Isles.

“So, Lady and gentlemen. Caneth, with somewhat dubious pretext, declared a war on a longstanding ally. Thankfully, it resulted in utter confusion and not outrage. Father was playing a very dangerous game, and while the motives were the best, I propose that we admit that the pretext was insufficient to justify our actions, and that we do not just agree to peace, but put into effect a conditional surrender. I propose that part of what we offer as our surrender deal is myself, duly confirmed as regent and heir. This will be a surprise to King Val, and to you, but I believe it makes sense. Father and King Val agreed in principle and fact to us being pushed together in a suitably underhanded way that neither of us knew. Father also carefully withheld knowledge that I got named regent-in-need, presumably to ensure that Hal did not have a political motivation to seek my hand, only a personal one. So Hal came seeking me as wife, and I have lots of counter-arguments lined up in case anyone is foolish enough to raise any arguments against my accepting him as husband. Father is insistent that our marriage must happen, and must happen soon, and I understand why. It is also imperative that our marriage include the certainty that Caneth and the Three Isles become a single political entity. Currently, the fleets of Caneth are wrapped up in this phoney war, and lots of the soldiers of Caneth are busily searching the coves for smugglers. Tew is not sitting idly by, they have been rubbing their hands together at the thought of a battle that will destroy our navy and cripple that of the Isles. They are probably massing an army on our borders as we speak, for when my brother calls for help to escalate this dangerous war with our best friends. We cannot present them with an opportunity to hope that they can launch a quick invasion of Caneth while the Isles stand by and watch. If we surrender, then Isles warships in our docks would be a natural consequence. If we surrender then of course we do not defend our borders against the Isles and can redirect our men to the border of Tew. If we offer an conditional surrender, then Hal has greater freedom. His father — we hope jokingly — said he could not offer half the kingdom for my hand. I hope jokingly, because I actually want all of it, that's to say, that Hal and I will eventually jointly rule over all Caneth and all the Isles. One of the conditions I suggest is that while the armies and navies of the Isles eventually share a combined chain of command, the legal and civil frameworks do not, and that a constitutional form be found that will ensure that neither partner — no partner, if Tesk decides to join us — feels that it is a junior partner with its concerns being ignored. Putting this all into a suitable treaty will take years or decades, and we don't have months, even. Putting these general principles into a surrender agreement is a matter of minutes or maybe hours. Everyone knows that surrender agreements need fleshing out later, but unless someone wants to restart the war, they're adhered to. Unlike, say, marriage treaties, which also take months to negotiate and then frequently get ignored. This ends my presentation to the flabbergasted ministers and general. Oops, no it doesn't. The other benefit to us surrendering is it almost certainly gets king Val and family to our wedding, since there's the whole implementation phase to talk about and I'm sure Val will want to shout at us a bit for giving him a whole new geopolitical situation to think about.”

“You also give Tesk, Tew and the empire of Dahel something to think about.”

“Which is why we want to be very nice to the lady ambassador of Dahel, invite her to give a speech at the wedding in the name of the Emperor, thank her government for providing father's medicine, and so on. Regarding Tesk, I hoped to set the academy the task of deciding what to call our new geopolitical unit, and how the constitution should work, thus making that marriage of countries so favourable that somewhere near half of their population are calling on the government to join up, and if they can't imagine that ever happening, think some more. Tew... I want us to be so instantly big and so united that Tew decides that if they're really after some victories, then a border-dispute with Dahel might be less expensive. Or if the king and his generals don't, then the thought of attacking us stirs up such disquiet within the coastal towns that they think again, since that's more than half his population.”

“You plan to entirely shift the balance of world power!”

“I plan for a peaceful low-tariff trading area with a united foreign policy, mutual defence and a happy populace, yes. It's not much for a girl to hope for as a wedding present, is it?”

“Could we hear prince Hal's input on this?”

“My father has charged me with ending the trade blockade, and restoring peace with our ally. To that end, he's given me various... negotiating areas on tariffs and so on, but they don't come close to the union that Esmetherelda has outlined to you. I'm surprised to hear Esme say that the document needs to be written as a surrender document, but I've not made much of a study on that area. But with us both due to inherit our respective crowns, some kind of political union is on the cards, and that was clearly his majesty's intent when he named Esme as heir. That thought of a union between us ought to scare our neighbours silly. Tesk will understandably feel entirely vulnerable, and Esme's strategy was meant in part as reassurance. As for Tew, it has long been the case that there was a three-way balance, with the Isles providing the bulk of the traded food, Caneth providing the bulk of the traded cloth, and Tew providing the bulk of the metals. That was supposed to prevent wars; an army cannot march without food and clothes, and cannot do much fighting without metals, but it hasn't happened in our generation. Tew imports almost three quarters of its protein from the marshes, and realistically is is only Caneth and the oceans have served as a buffer zone between us and their military, which is why father was only too happy to persuade them to stop trying to take you over. But if we're vulnerable to their fire-power, they're vulnerable to a combination of Caneth and the Isles cutting off their food. Caneth only imports about a third of what they do for a larger population, and yet this trade-war has seen the price of all meat here increasing significantly. In summary, like Esme, I do not believe that Tew would sit idly by during a long negotiation. But I also know the present king of Tew is old, and heard from some sailors just in this morning that his son was badly wounded while riding recently, and may not survive. Unless there are some illegitimate children I've not heard of, that leaves the throne to his daughter. I don't know what that does to the dynamics.”

“And our information was that Henk had arranged with him to marry his daughter,” rumbled General Hagard. “So the situation is more complicated still.”

“I have exchanged letters with Yalisa from time to time.” Esme said. “I do not think she fully approves of her father's war-mongering, but I've no idea how she will respond to the thought becoming heir. I will write to her again about this rumour. Maybe, without her father's and brother's influence, a treaty of friendship becomes possible. But brothers falling from grace or falling from horses are neither of them pleasant. I will tell her of my brother's crimes, but not what we suspect, of course.”

“Thank you for the reassurance, highness,” the minister for internal affairs said.

“I am not so proud that I mind people seeking reassurances, minister. Feel free to voice any concerns, you never know, I might not have thought of them.”

“You have invited comment, highness on this surrender document you propose. Could you expound on why you feel that surrender is better than a provisional peace treaty?”

“Because to my mind -feel free to correct me- a provisional peace treaty gives the Isles no rights until it has been ratified by both heads of state or authorised negotiators. A statement of surrender, however, is immediately effective. It is quite simple, to my mind -though I'm not an expert so again, feel free to correct me- we have been rather lax in our response to the attacks from Tew. We have not increased our army significantly, we have not done more than reinforce our defences and replacing lost shipping. We've put our trust in our allies and trade and treaties. We are almost overstretched already, without any shooting happening. If we move into a shooting war, or Tew attacks, we are in deep trouble. I presume this was part of father's plan, to respond from a position of weakness. Am I correct, General?”

“In part, highness. The other issue is that certain voices have been arguing against any additional military expenditure, saying that it is not permitted in the treaty that ended their attack — options differ — and it would persuade Tew that we were responding to their peaceful attitude with aggression.”

“I see. Well, this is basically my attitude: firstly, we have wronged the Isles, secondly we cannot prosecute this war we've declared with much hope to survive without total non-involvement from an aggressive neighbour who we have reason to believe might easily be on the war-path already. I have no intention of prosecuting this war, and I desperately hope no loss of life has occurred as a result, either as a result of missed meals or someone crossing lines or losing tempers. I would so much rather surrender with some conditions to the Isles than have to surrender to Tew at sword-point that I think it's worth a little pre-emption.”

“Can I suggest, highness,” said the minister for internal affairs, “that rather than state it in terms of surrender, we write two documents, one a unilateral apology and declaration of peace, and secondly a request to the Isles that they form a permanent alliance with us, sealed by your marriage.”

The general shook his head. “I believe I understand her highness's concern. By stating it in that way, the marriage and the becomes conditional on the agreement of the Isles, and if we hear in five days that what Tew call their fleet are off the coast with all gun-ports open, then in whatever negotiating occurs we will not be able to talk of any existing alliance. If it is a part of a declaration of surrender formally accepted by prince Hal, albeit awaiting ratification, we can say 'it has been agreed after our mistaken war with the Isles that Caneth and the Isles shall be one, if you attack us, you attack both us and the Isles.'”

“Exactly!” Esme said, “I also don't think we can avoid the word itself. Hal doesn't have the authority to sign an agreement that commits anyone to constitutional changes. But... he's allowed to agree to our marriage, he's allowed to sign a peace treaty within limits, and strong international convention allows anyone who has the authority to sign any peace treaty to accept a declaration of surrender. Hopefully King Val will forgive us if I smile sweetly, and promise him a granddaughter as soon as God allows.”

“Why not a grandson?” Hal asked.

“Because important though grandsons are, granddaughters are much better at wrapping grandfathers round their little fingers,” Vazeth said. “Have you discussed this with his Majesty?”

“Father is not well, however he's named me regent and heir, knows that Hal is heir and said the marriage must happen quickly. He is clearly intending the union of our two nations. I favour this plan over eloping.”

“Price Hal, you have said that you don't think it needs to be a surrender document. Could you expound?”

“I would recommend that the first thing that happens is a redeployment of troops and warships. Esme has I think been thinking of the legalities and not the chain of command realities and I now realise has assumed that there needs to be something in place politically before she calls people home. Since that's not the case, my recommendation is to send out maximum haste redeployment and resupply orders to all units. Thinking of that... I would not assume Henk and his generals have not sent orders to your units on the frontier with Tew. So I would send general orders informing them that Henk and his generals are in prison for treason, cancelling any orders they might have had from them, stating where they ought to be, that no treaty has been signed with Tew that would allow their soldiers into Caneth, and ordering them to report any orders that have said anything different.”

“Wise words, highness,” the general said. “Those are wise words indeed. I had not considered their treason might go so deep, but it is possible. It is even possible they might have demobilised key units entirely.”

“I must question Henk and the imprisoned generals,” Esme said. Then turning to the minister for defence, said “And we must question you too, minister, must we not?”

The defence minister jerked out of his reverie as all eyes turned on him. “I, I do not understand, highness.” He stuttered.

“I should have realised it earlier. An ambitious prince willing to push his sister overboard and allow his father to die without medicine along with and a few generals in the pay of Tew to take his orders would not really provide the intellectual resources needed for this conspiracy, would it? General, I think the ex-minister for defence can tell us about the demobilisations and redeployments he suggested to my brother. If he refuses, then he has a number of fears in his mind right now. Minister, your thoughts condemn you of orchestrating a treasonous plot, and all you think of is that your only way out is to accuse me of insanity? You have papers that will prove me right, do you not? Try not to think of their hiding place if you like. Thank you. Soldiers will be dismantling your desk draws to see if you have any other secrets.”

“Have mercy, highness!”

“Mercy follows willing repentance, ex-minister, and repentance must be before the hour of judgement. For you that hour has come. The evidence you sought to bury in your garden will be dug up. If you confess fully to all your crimes, you may not suffer torture, I don't know. Guards, take this man to the jail. His feet are to be manacled, but he is to be given pen and paper, so he can list the troop deployments he suggested, and his other crimes. His office desk is to be broken up with hammers and the wreckage searched with thick gloves, for there are poison booby traps as well as secret compartments. Bring the documents here, along with his writings from jail. Then, there is a stolen ring and other evidence of another crime, in a fountain turned into a flower bed in his garden, let the soil be carefully checked and the evidence found.”

“At your command, highness.” the soldier saluted.

“Take him away,” Esme said, refusing to looking at the man she'd known almost all her life.

[What did you hear, Esme?] Hal thought to her.

[His predecessor was removed from office when some things went missing. He pleaded innocence, but could provide no leads to who else had access to the room. I'd better tell everyone.] “Ministers, you will remember Takrum's removal from office... what, five years ago? The man just removed from the room was thinking how well he'd done in life since he'd gained office. When I mentioned questioning the general he suddenly thought how fortunate he'd been that I didn't have the gift then. When I challenged him, he pushed away the thought that he'd stolen mother's ring and burred it in his garden. He then thought about some other things he didn't want me to learn. Not very clever things to think about really. Yes, minister, I heard that too, but putting a childhood pet out of its misery really isn't in the same category, is it?”

“Should Takrum be restored to his position, highness?” The minister for foreign affairs asked.

“I will certainly speak to father about asking him if he would like to return.” Esme said.

“Some younger blood in this cabinet would not come amiss, highness.”

“Are you volunteering to resign?” Esme asked, “No. Perhaps I will think of allowing some retirements when we are not in a crisis, or when I rule in my own right, but I hope father will be recovered enough to return to rule in a month or so. I am only caretaker at the moment. It would not be right for the caretaker to make major changes that are not necessary.”

“Just to surrender the entire country to the Isles?” Hal asked, “Should I finish what I was going to suggest?”

“I think you'd better,” Esme said.

“So, make sure your troops are where you need them, your navy is patrolling where it ought to be, and getting resupplied in a rolling manner, your at-risk borders patrolled, and so on. Then you should not be at risk of an invasion from Tew any more, at least, as long as they're not crossing the borders already. I presume you don't want any reduced tariffs in the peace deal, which is nice for father's accounts. What you do want is political union, yes, you could do that with a surrender document, but really that's going to upset your military and in any case it'll need my Dad talking to you or your Dad quickly. The fastest way I can think of to get you talking to Dad is if we set sail this evening. If you really like I'll sign a surrender document for your ministers to hold on to in case Tew end up knocking on the door, but you certainly don't need to publicise it. A simple declaration that 'the war with the Isles was based on false reports and is over, details of reparations are being negotiated.' ought to be sufficient. That still leaves the way open for your ministers to use the stand-by surrender document if needed or burn it if not. Don't you think that's sufficient, Esme?”

“It's so vague,” Esme objected.

“So is this situation. If we knew where Tew's army was, then it'd be a lot clearer. If we knew where your army was, that'd help. But we don't. Onto knowables, God willing we'll marry, I assume you'd like to have our wedding here, and I know you'd like to know everything is sorted out first. A trip to Captita, a few days shocking everyone to their core followed by a voyage here with a reasonable chunk of my family ought to give you time to negotiate stuff, and when we get back you can sign the paperwork — or hopefully your father can, as well as ensure that the wedding dress you've just thought of getting measured for fits. Personally, I'd like to add that I think an engagement is normal before you get measured for a wedding dress, so will you marry me, Esmetherelda?”

“I've only known you for one and a bit days, Hal,” Esme said.

“That's often the way with arranged marriages isn't it?” he asked.

“True.” Esme said, looking into his eyes, “And father is insistent. And I can hardly offer myself as part of a surrender agreement if I'm not planning to marry you, can I? Yes, I will marry you,”

“Urm, Highness, shouldn't there be an engagement treaty?”

“Can someone take a dictation?” Esme said, still gazing into Hal's face, the face of her fiance, and very aware from his thoughts that he was savouring this moment too. “We're busy.”