Page 34 of The Prince's Fealty

He peered blearily up at the shadowy figures above him. How many were they? How powerful were they? What if there were more rulers conspiring against him, and what if they ripped their Fealty away the same way that Nostex had?

Shuddering, Var tried to push those thoughts away and concentrate. Right now, all he needed to do was maintain these shields. Each moment that he did so was another moment that his family lived.

Chapter Eight

Pel

Pel sucked in a breath as understanding dawned. It had been obvious, actually, what his mother had been saying, but it had never crossed Pel’s mind that the exiles would be willing to do such a thing.

It was Bav who said it out loud. “You’re saying that the exiles would be willing to swear their Fealty to Prince Torex?”

Their mother turned a look that was almost pleading on her oldest son. “I did try to tell them that you could be trusted. Honestly, Bavil.”

He looked sort of stunned even as he blurted out, “I don’t want any part of this.” Then he made a face at Tor. “Sorry, that’s probably not a very supportive thing to say, is it?”

And thankfully, Tor laughed softly, and some of the tension eased from his frame.

“No, I don’t blame you for that. It’s funny, because you’d think your father would have jumped at the opportunity.”

Tama immediately countered, “We would never have consented to be under his power. He’d do it for all the wrong reasons.”

That was certainly true.

Tor blew out a breath, straightened his shoulders, and looked at Pel’s mother squarely. “Listen. You know it’s treason for a non-sovereign to accept Fealty from someone else. I’m already in a lot of trouble with my brother, and I can genuinely not guarantee that Iwon’t be killed for that, for what you’re mentioning right now, or in the midst of what I’m going to try to do as soon as we’re done this discussion. I’m probably not a very good bargain at all. And I won’t give up my Fealty to my brother, not even for you.”

“We wouldn’t expect you to,” Pel’s mother said, expression grave. “It’s not something that we enter into lightly, I assure you. Not everyone is altogether comfortable, and we do understand the risks inherent in what we’re proposing. But the risk of inaction is killing us anyway. The situation has improved somewhat with Forex gone if Bavil isn’t going to continue to hunt us down.”

“Of course not,” Bav said promptly, looking insulted by the very idea.

Their mother smiled faintly at him, then continued more seriously, “But we’re still living on a land that won’t support us anymore. Where does that leave us? Will you allow all the exiles to move onto your land? To live here without pledging their Fealty to you?”

Pel’s brother frowned. “I would have said yes ten minutes ago. But what happens if you’re right about the land needing Fealty? Would we be fine because you were now sharing the land with my citizens who’ve pledged Fealty to me? Or would you bring the issue with you? And if the High King takes exception to any of that, what if my people are punished as a result? I have an entire realm I need to protect.”

He looked uncertain. Tor was nodding his head, and their mother looked… surprisingly approving given that she’d just been rejected. She smiled faintly at Bav.

“Spoken like a true ruler of his people.” She looked to Tor. “But you don’t have a people. Or you have chosen all people, and at least once, that included us. That made such an impression on my people that some who were categorically opposed have expressed themselves willing as long as it is withyou. We thought we lost our chance, only now here you are, and at a time when we can benefit you.”

Pel couldn’t help but burst in, “By making him commit actual treason? High King Varex could truly have him put to death for this!”

Despite everything that had happened, Pel had been hopeful they could explain what really happened up the mountain. But this? This reallywastreason.

“We can’t control that,” his mother acknowledged. “It’s certainly a risk, and it could mean the deaths of all of us, not just Prince Torex.” She looked at Tor again. “But right now, you’re weak and injured, and you’re heading for a fight. You’ll be stronger and more able to face that fight if you add the Fealty of our people to your own magic.”

Bav mumbled, “It’s certainly a boost.”

Tor looked torn, and Pel could see why he was hesitating. This magical coma had taken a lot out of him, he was physically injured, and he was terrified for his family. Any advantages they had would be good.

Except it could irreparably harm the relationship between him and Varex. It wasactualtreason.

It was possibly the only thing that could help these people.

Was there another option?

Tor’s voice was carefully neutral as he asked, “What would you require of me?”

“After the matter with your family is resolved, as long as you are able, you come back and live on the land with us. You take care of us just as any ruler would. And we see if that is enough to stop the terrible things that are happening in our land.”

Tor blew out a breath. “How sure are you that this will solve the problem?”