“C’mon, you’ll have to do better than that,” egged the swordmaster.
A drop of sweat dropped off Taréz brow. “You’ve been saying that for years, Fullo. It’s become my mantra, only I hear it in your voice.” He thought he saw an opening, and swiped, but instead felt the wrist-twisting jar of the swordmaster’s sword.
“Tsk, tsk, you’re predictable. You never swipe in the middle of a sentence!”
Burn it! That ‘opening’ had been an illusion!
“Your Highness! Official business!”
Taréz turned to see a dark Vle wearing the sash of a messenger coming up the steps to the sparring platform. “Official business? My father is unavailable?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The chamber guard did not explain why.”
“Ah.” The prince tried not to think about what that meant, but he used chamber guards the same way sometimes after a ball. “The message is?”
“The Duke of Creaz reports the miners are revolting.”
“Revolting? Why?”
“They demand more pay.”
“More pay?! Metal prices aren’t exactly the greatest right now. We’re about to... Oh, never mind. I’d better save the discussion for the King. The parchment, please? Thank you. The chamberlain should be near the south wing."
The messenger bowed, and left to collect his fee from Yis.
Taréz put the parchment on a bench with his cloak picked up his sword and crouched in the basic ready position, but shook his head as the swordmaster responded in kind. “No, my mind’s not going to be in this. I’ll need to read this over at least twice before I present it to Father.”
“Oh, but now is the perfect time to practice. You have something big to put out of your mind.” And with that, he attacked.

Twice more that week, there was news of border incursions, and the miner’s riots continued. Finally, the King called a conference with his most trusted advisors. They included the Chief, of course, as well as the Chamberlain; the Librarian, who knew exactly what previous kings did in similar situations; and finally, Taréz.
“It would appear from first glance,” began the King, “that Gardric’s paranoia about the Light Vle of the east is not so unfounded as I thought. The South Hall incidents can be attributed to mere accident. The miners might well have a legitimate gripe. But it’s a little harder to simply write off a border incursion as a mistake. However, I find it difficult to believe that any of our neighbors should seek— or risk— war against us for any reason. Meanwhile, war is the last thing I want, however strong we are or how willing we want to appear to be. Ours is a position of peace. Peace is profitable—”
“And the light Vle are endangering that profit!” The Chief interjected.
“I beg your pardon, Chief.” Yis Thour spoke softly, but the color of his face belied the hot emotions within. Not for the first time, the King was glad his own skin was dark enough to hide his emotions.
Gardric was terse in his reply. “Pardon me.”
“Yis, can you see any reason that King Baran would wish to make war on us? Keep in mind the trouble we’ve had in the east.”
“I cannot imagine any reason to violate the borders of the great Kingdom of Larmania.”
Gardric harumphed “Nor I. Sire, did you really expect a different answer?”
“Sire,” countered Yis, “I am your chamberlain, loyal to you. I tell you in all honesty—”
The King cut him off. “Yes, Yis, I believe you.” Taréz knew Yis’ speech to actually have been intended for the Chief. “I sent a letter by pigeon to the ambassador, to inquire as to his knowledge of these incursions. I was particularly surprised by his response, which I shall read for you:
“‘I, Noert, do solemnly swear by the honor of His Majesty, King Baran the sixth of Varmac, that the information provided below is true to the best of my knowledge.’ Gardric, I don’t need a comment on that.
“‘I have heard of captures of Varmacian scouts; news of these events have put the citizens of my country on edge. However, it is the assertion of our military leaders that no border crossing was ever made, and that in order to have made these captures, Larmanian scouts must have crossed to our side. Plus, the right of notice of capture has apparently not been extended to the scouts, for no word of them has been received since the beginning of their shift.
“‘Please, Your Majesty, I implore you to free our men. They have done no harm in any way to your country or people. This I ask in the interest of continued peace. Sincerely, Noert Hieman, Ambassador of Varmac to the Kingdom of Larmania.’ Now, we have two different stories here, both claiming that no one crossed the border. Who am I to believe?”
“I think it’s significant, Father, that he did not refute the existence of the scouts, nor their proximity to the border.”
“It’s rather difficult for them to do that, now,” said Gardric. “We have living proof.”
“Good that you’ve kept them alive, Gardric. However, they could also have denied the existence of the scouts and thus made it seem that our troops made a much larger incursion.”
“That would be foolish. It would make their border seem weaker.”
Taréz had to concede the point, and knew his father had to as well.
“Furns? What is your take on the situation?” he asked the librarian.
“As you may be aware, border incursions have been common throughout our history. However, the usual response has simply been to attack, which in all cases led to full-out war. I think that is no longer an option.”
“Agreed,” replied the King. “Is there no precedent for a peaceful resolution?”
“I’m afraid not, Your Majesty. For one thing, early on, previous incursions were of the cattle-raid type— anything lesser would have gone unnoticed. Later, once the Gardrics took office, the response was so swift and bloody that our neighbors quickly learned not to mess with us.”
“I know. But that’s hardly an appropriate response, now.”
Gardric’s response was predictable. “But, your Majesty! We must attack! The security of our people is at stake!”
“Father, may I suggest something? What if we declare martial law?”
“Martial law? I’m not familiar with the term.”
“It’s when government is conducted by the military,” informed the librarian. “All comings and goings are strictly controlled by soldiers, so that everyone’s location is accounted for at all times.”
“That would help solve the riot problem,” continued Taréz, “and if the Varmacians ever get serious, we’ll have our forces ready for a response.”
“That does sound like a good plan. Very well: Gardric, confer with Furns on the details of martial law. We will declare it in all duchies with light Vle percentages greater than one-third of the population. Taréz, I want you to convene a conference of the lords so that they will understand what we’re doing and why. Yis, I’d like you to arrange a conference between King Baran and I next week at the latest.”
“Yes, Sire. I hope you’re doing the right thing.”
“By the Great Master, Yis, so do I.”