When William returned to Arsheen's palace, it was late in the afternoon, and the sun was beginning to wane. Massacre had long since wandered off independently, as was her custom. He found out where she had wandered off to when he got to the palace gates. She was sleeping directly before them, and her goat head was on watch.

He could only surmise that anyone with business in the palace would have to tiptoe around her. It probably shouldn't have been as amusing as it was, though he couldn't keep smiling. William approached and nudged her with one toe.

"Hello, Massacre. I see you are still sleeping," said William.

"Bah," said Massacre. No doubt, she wanted him to play more harp for her. She always wanted that.

"Not now. I'm not in the mood," said William.

"Bah," said Massacre in annoyance.

William made his way through the gate but slowed as he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. He suddenly felt that he was not alone and put one hand to his sword as he made his way forward.

He heard footsteps and drew his sword, whirling around to dodge a serrated blade. He deflected three strikes, backing away before he and his enemy locked blades and came face to face.

Raynald stood where he was, a crooked smile on his scarred face. They pressed their blades against one another for a moment, and William took in his mentor. The withered-armed man was wearing an orange cloak that covered his disability. He looked in a good mood, which was not as rare as you would think. Raynald had lived a hard life, but he smiled a great deal.

They separated.

"Hmm, I was expecting to take you off guard," said Raynald, drawing back his sword and sheathing it. "You are getting better, William. Back so late?"

"Yes," said William, sheathing his sword. "It has been something of a day, Raynald." He'd hoped to show Kiyora precisely the position she had put him in. She had better things to do.

"Well, you're just in time for dinner," said Raynald. "You'd better get into something more presentable."

"Will you be there?" asked William.

Raynald laughed. "No, I'll be dining with the men. Thank Elranor, and I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Leaving?" asked William. "But you've only just arrived. I didn't know you were back until you tried to remove my head!"

"Yes," said Raynald, looking regretful. "Unfortunately, Vanion wants me to go and see about raising an army. From the Lords in the northern reaches of Artarq this time. Frankly, I'll be glad to get on the road again. I had great sports with the Calishan merchants. You should have been there."

"Maybe next time, Raynald," said William, inwardly feeling sick at the prospect.

He quickly got himself dressed. Then he went to the dining room, where he found Father and Mother eating together in private. There were occasional feast days where the whole court would eat together. Fortunately, this was not one of these days.

"Sugar, Vanion?" asked Mother.

"No, thank you. I recently received news of what goes on in the Sornian sugar plantations," said Father. "It made me feel ill to know." He looked at William. "I am told your temple will finally be built, William. I trust the funds I provided were sufficient."

"So far, yes," said William. "I just wish Kiyora would understand what this costs us."

"And why should she? To her, this is but a dream," said Father. "Our reality is an idle amusement to be cast aside during waking hours. To her, the construction of a temple warrants a minimal amount of attention.

"The real question is how we can use the fact?"

"Must every conversation involve you scheming, Vanion?" asked Mother.

"I constantly plan, Azgora. It's who I am," said Father. "I may carry out very few of them, but I make them all the same. William, does Kiyora have any requests?"

"Not Kiyora, but rather Bjorn," said William. "He is concerned about the route to Seathorius. He has requested you send some ships to escort them from Port Otter to Artarq."

"That doesn't seem difficult." mused Vanion. "I can have a ship with an armed crew sent to the mouth of Savior's Run. His men can board, and they'll be off. Still, I now have an idea of how to turn this situation to our advantage.

"Ask the Dreaming Goddess if she would allow priests of Elranor to preach his word to the dwarves."

"That seems risky," said William. "The Nakmar worship Baltoth as well as Kiyora, just like all the races of Seathorius. It might set Kiyora against Baltoth."

"Yes, and since she is the most active of the gods of Seathorius, I expect she will win," said Father. "Baltoth's worship in those regions is a concern; some might be induced to march against us in time.

"Just ask her to ask Bjorn if it would be acceptable."

"All right," said William, not liking the idea much.

"I don't like all this scheming and maneuvering," blurted Mother.

"Oh?" asked Father, voice annoyed. "And what would you have me do instead?"

"Confront Baltoth directly," said Azgora. "Crush his armies. Burn his cities. Strew his fields with salt."

"Thank you for your suggestion, Azgora," said Vanion. "I prefer a less genocidal method of achieving peace."

"And why should we seek to achieve peace?" asked Azgora.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"We will never agree on this, Azgora," said Vanion.

"Father, what is your plan?" asked William. "You haven't spoken of it with me before."

"Rusara has told you of the criminals that plague Arsheen's poorer districts?" said Vanion. "They make a living by selling malas to Calisha. There is an assortment of other criminal activities. It's our good fortune. Seathorius is so dangerous. It's impossible to transport the stuff through it."

"I've seen their work," said William, thinking of the unconscious people. "But what do they have to do with Calisha?"

"Everything," said Vanion. "As long as the gangs could supply Calisha, Baltoth would not hurry to assault Artarq. However, I have made smuggling very inconvenient. This meant that the price rose.

"Since the supply has become less reliable, Baltoth is now moving to take the province for his own. Now, how would you deal with this, William?"

Father was testing him. William thought about his options. Calisha was the largest empire in the world. Confronting it directly, like Mother was suggesting, would be banking everything on victory. A defeat would mean certain ruin. "...I would take a defensive stance. Deal with the gangs and hold my ground," said William. He looked to where Mother was looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Mother's strategy seems sound as well."

"It has its merits," said Father in a voice that said otherwise. "Unfortunately, it relies on us defeating Baltoth in a prolonged war. Wars are dangerous, unpredictable, and bloody affairs. They leave nations decimated and treasuries exhausted."

"And without them, the race would weaken," snapped Mother. "Make no mistake, Vanion, the superiority of the males in this land to my own is due wholly to their talent for war. All else followed only because of that."

"Of course, dear," said Father. "All the same, a lengthy conflict is in no one's interest. Thus, I plan to defeat Baltoth in one major battle and offer him favorable terms."

"What terms?" asked William.

"I will agree to sell Calisha malas at far lower prices than the gangs," said Father. "We don't have to worry about smuggling or bribery, so it will be simple to outbid our opponents. Baltoth will pay us for his malas, and the criminals will lose their source of revenue. And we will have a moderate victory.

"Everyone will win."

"Yes, but we don't want everyone to win, Vanion," said Mother. "What we want is for Calisha to be destroyed. Or do I have to tell you your god's view of the matter?"

"Yes, yes, and I'm sure Elranor's ultimate victory will be glorious," said Father. "In the meantime, however, we gain much more by peace than war."

William felt troubled. "Father, won't sell malas to the Calishans harm the common people? I've seen what it does to people."

"You needn't fear," said Vanion. "Baltoth will want it to enhance the power of his sorcerers. He won't waste what he buys on ordinary folk."

"Then why don't we offer these terms now?" asked William. "Why do we have to beat Baltoth on the battle field?"

"If Baltoth thinks he can just take what he wants, he will try," said Father. "If he suffers a defeat and I offer my terms, he may take my offer and go home, proclaiming a great victory.

"Another victory over Calisha will improve my standing in the court of Antion."

"You would defeat your enemy by giving him what he wants," snapped Mother. "There is no glory in that."

"If it is any consolation, Azgora, people don't always enjoy getting what they want," said Father. "We should change the subject."

"So be it," said Mother. "William, tell me, why is it that you have not destroyed the statue in the temple of Typhos?"

And here was where things would get awkward. "I didn't want to alienate a god," said William.

"Typhos is an abomination," said Azgora. "That her worship was once allowed here is an unforgivable mark on the honor of this place."

"Mother, Typhos was defeated long ago. All I'm doing is showing respect for a defeated adversary," said William. "It isn't going to make her any less sealed."

At that moment, the door opened, and Massacre barged into the room, having learned to open doors about a month ago. Making her way up to William, she brushed against him, nearly knocking him out of his chair. "Bah."

"Begone from this place, beast," snarled Mother.

"Mother, Massacre isn't trying to provoke you," said William.

"Her very presence here is a provocation," said Azgora. "The spawn of Typhos will never be welcome in my presence."

"Bah," said Massacre, looking at Mother as though daring her to try something.

William had to get Massacre out of there before Mother grabbed a broadsword. "Alright, I know I promised to play music for you. Mother, Father, I'll take her out of here."

William led Massacre into a large hall with a high roof. It was here that he always played music for her. It reminded him of where Rusara taught him to play the harp back home in Carn Gable. Unhooking the Goldenwood Harp from the wall, he strung it and began to play.

The music was off this time. William wasn't sure why, but he tried to play all the same. Massacre picked up on it and nuzzled him. "Bah."

"Sorry if I'm playing a bit off, Massacre," said William. "There was this girl earlier. She was sick, and I couldn't do anything to help her. I know I've helped many people, but that makes the ones I can't save even worse.

'Back when I couldn't do anything, it was easy to pretend as though there wasn't anything wrong with the world."

"Bah," said Massacre.

"Yes, I know I'm talking too much," said William.

Then he looked up to Felix, who was always around him like a shadow. It seemed almost unnatural when he hadn't been with him today for a while. But Azgora had wanted him to run some errands. "Felix, what do you think of Father's plan?"

"It may work," said Felix. "Giving Baltoth what he wants after dealing him a defeat will certainly get him to go elsewhere. In this way, Harlenor will profit from the malas trade. I'm going to invest in the malas business next. If all this works out, the industry will see a serious profit rise."

"Still, Baltoth is the great enemy," said William. "He murdered Anoa IX and ended the line of Anoa the Bright. Is it Elranor's will that we compromise with him?"

"William, I'm a distant descendant of Baltoth. How do you expect me to know?" asked Felix.

"I suppose that was a foolish question," said William, pausing momentarily. "Felix?"

"Yes," asked Felix.

"I've known you for years," said William. "Yet I don't think I've ever heard what your life was like before you ended up at that slave market. I know you were a noble, but..."

"There isn't much to tell," said Felix. "I wasn't a noble, more... well, yeoman is the closest thing you have in Harlenor, though I was a very rich. My mother was descended from one of Baltoth's many mistresses. She married the wife of a Calishan tax collector and had me. He performed his duties faithfully for years. Then, one day, I saw my mother arguing with my father about something. I didn't understand it then, but I do now.

"Father had been skimming off the top of the taxes he collected to Baltoth. Mother was angry because Baltoth always found out about corruption sooner or later. She was afraid he would get caught."

"Did he?" asked William.

"I'm here, aren't I?" asked Felix. "Because the next day, armed guards broke down the door and took us prisoner.

"The penalty for corruption in Calisha is crucifixion. They nail your hands and feet to a cross and hoist you up so you are suffocating in midair. It takes hours, even days, to die.

"Everything we owned was taken to pay back the debt. When that wasn't enough, they sold my mother and me into slavery. We ended up in Artarq on the market. We were lucky Duke Vanion bought us."

"I'm sorry," said William.

"It's my father's fault," said Felix. "He should have known that Baltoth isn't called The Inexorable for nothing. I'd rather not talk about this anymore, William."

"Right, I shouldn't have brought it up," said William.

"You couldn't have known," said Felix.

William began playing again. He played and played until Massacre finally drifted off to sleep. And when the chimera was sleeping, he went to bed himself.