There is a Reason
The admission caught me off-guard. It must have shown in my face because Litoc jumped on the prince’s statement.
“Ye ‘ave been sendin’ spies into Khevernak ‘aven’t ye?”
The prince nodded and drank from his cup. He looked around, as if expecting someone to pour him another, and realizing no one was there to do it, he poured it himself.
“It seems to me you were both thinking the same thing.” I said, angling to add layers to my half-baked attempt at a brainstorming session, “It’s gone on too long now. The question is why. Why doesn’t Khevernak attack? With a kingdom this big, I’m sure they can afford it.”
“And we will fight them to the last coin!” Jakeli declared.
Easy for you to say when you have the most coins.
“Ye might be on ta somethin’ Jorj.” Said Litoc, deep in thought.
I let it hang. I was frankly running out of things to add.
“The Accord of Kings, elim.”
Jakeli looked to Litoc. From his reaction, I could tell he knew what Litoc mentioned, but could not quite follow.
“The Accord of Kings! That’s why Amreth can’t attack!”
“We have done nothing to break it.” Jakeli added.
“Uh, what is this accord?”
“Jorj! I knew ye had somethin’. The Accord of Kings is an old document. Made back when there were thirteen kingdoms still. It’s an agreement that holds the kingdoms until this day!”
“So, like a list of when it is fine to declare war?”
“Yes. And what penalties can be levied if one were to break it.” Jakeli replied.
“I don’t see how that will be a problem. Khevernak can easily pay these penalties, surely.”
“They can, fer a time. But only if they succeed in taking over Silaron, and even then, ‘twill drain them dry.”
“I fail to understand how.” I stated honestly.
“See Jorj, the accord states that if unwarranted wars are made by one kin’dom, they will be subject ta pay the rest o’ the kin’doms an amount, in ilem, equivalent ta three times the number o’ soldiers that the kin’dom they attacked ‘ad, every month, ta all kin’doms, fer years equal ta the number o’ kin’doms.”
“And all goods coming from that kingdom will be levied at four times the usual rate, while they cannot levy any taxes for goods going in.”
“Fer a number o’ years equal to the number o’ kin’doms in existence.” Litoc added.
“And if they don’t pay?”
“Everyone stops trade. Eventually, all the kingdoms wage war.”
“Like a pack o’ aimagat sniffin’ an easy meal.”
The crash course in this world’s political relations, even without a background on their respective strengths sounded brutal to me. It was the equivalent of an economic sanction with a very real threat of a takeover. I played games like this. I always lost.
“How many kingdoms are there and how many soldiers do we have?” I asked.
The looks both of them gave me made me feel like the dumbest person in the room.
“Vindeth, child,” Litoc spoke, “’ow many kin’doms are there?”
“Twelve!”
“Right ye are!” Litoc commended the kid, “An’ ‘how many soldiers do we ‘ave cousin? ‘twas six or seven drakias, last I remember.”
“Half a drakin, if not more.”
This retarded counting units again.
Even with estimates, I was finding it hard to do a proper calculation. I enlisted Jibel’s help by having him draw on the table using wine while the others waited. Their eyes lingered on Jibel as I went back to the conversation.
“That’s… that’s a lot of gold.” I muttered.
“If Silaron attacks itself, it’ll probably ‘ave two, maybe three months before its coffers dry up. That still right cousin?”
“It’s closer to two now.” Jakeli clarified.
“Ha, ha. So ye see, ‘e can’t just attack without cause.”
“You mean, unless they find the spies you sent.”
Eyes turned to Jakeli. The prince gulped.
“They can’t attack, we can’t attack. They might ‘ave proof if they catch ours, we don’t ‘ave proof. What were ye thinkin’ elim?”
“They’re preparing to wage war! They’ve already been amassing troops at the borders. I heard they’re even hiring mercenaries. They’ve raised taxes for goods going into Khevernak and coming to Silaron. They even dictate prices now. Our merchants are watched. And they only trade in silver for those goods. Ilem stays inside Khevernak. Are these not signs?”
“I was knowin’ about the border and the taxes but I admit, these are worrying.”
“If you have rules about waging war and what comes after, then there must be rules about making an offending kingdom pay for its trespasses?” I offered.
“There is, but it’s more of a bother. You have to gather all the kings, or their representatives, you have to house them, feed them, make sure all their needs are met. Then they’ll stretch it out for as long as they can and in the end, may still arrive at nothing.”
“Can’t you make something up?”
“Ye mean take people an’ make them confess?”
I shrugged.
“’sbeen tried before. ‘snot worth it.”
“So,” I tried piecing together what I’ve learnt so far, “Khevernak is wearing Silaron down.”
“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Jakeli admitted.
As I mulled it over, even I had to admit it was a good plan. A slow one, but a good plan. The equivalent of the boiling frog myth put into practice.
“You can’t retaliate. That’s what they expect you to do. Are the deaths of the nobles already known?”
“I imagine it is already.” Jakeli answered.
“What of the people? In their towns, how did they react?”
Jakeli’s face went blank. Like he had formed an idea but lost it.
“Ye suspected they were done in by Amreth’s lackeys an’ ye didn’t bother ta check?”
There was no answer. Litoc shook his head while pouring another drink. I did too, barely noticing Hanni pass as she dumped the rest of the bundle on the table. She had wiped all the weapons in it. I set aside my arrows and picked up the metal spikes and balls, absentmindedly putting them into groups. As the flames on the lamps wavered when a light breeze seeped through spaces between the door and windows, an idea formed.
“If you want to stay king for longer than it takes for the kingdoms to go into war, you’re going to have to turn this assassination into a good thing.”
With the exception of the children, and probably Hanni who went back to her place by the door, all eyes turned to me. Jakeli’s expression was questioning, Tukru’s was blank, Litoc’s had a tinge of excitement.
“’ere it comes. Ha! Go on then. Don’t keep us waitin’!”
I smiled.
“Thanks to you,” I turned to Litoc, “we’ve already secured the first part.”