by the King, he has no skill with diplomacy. He returned two months later accompanied by a full entourage of representatives from Angrääl, enough to occupy a proper diplomatic embassy. At first, the King protested, but his cousin convinced him that relations and trade would be in the best interest for the kingdom. Before long they had bought a building near the palace and had established themselves as the embassy to the “Reborn King of Angrääl.”
“That didn’t send up warning flags?” asked Millet. “The “Reborn King” can only be referring to the Demon King, Rätsterfel. Surely the temples intervened when they heard this?” He retrieved a loaf of bread and dried meat from his pack and passed it around.
“I believe the temples had been infiltrated long before the arrival of the ambassador,” replied Jacob.
“Why would you think that?” asked Maybell, trying to contain her irritation.
“From the moment they arrived they showed their contempt for the Gods. They refused to have their embassy blessed, and turned away any offer of friendship the temples made. On the streets they openly mocked the Gods, and said that anyone that trusted in them was a fool. A few of the temples were even vandalized. Everyone knew who did it, but there was no proof. More than that, the temples did little to stop it.”
“All this and the King did nothing?” said Millet.
“There was nothing to do,” said Jacob. “The temples made no complaint. Not to the King or anyone else. In fact, it was widely known that many of the high priestesses and senior monks had dealings with them on a regular basis. I myself saw the chief librarian of the Temple of Gerath riding with the ambassador, talking and laughing as friends.”
“That means nothing,” said Maybell. “You can’t know why they were speaking.”
“True,” he answered. “But the next day the library was robbed and nearly every important text stolen. The culprits were never found despite the fact that I told the magistrate what I had seen. Of course, after that life became more difficult for my mother and me. Several of our trade caravans were attacked, and our interests in the copper mine were suddenly audited. I went to the magistrate to complain, but I fear he had already been bought. The chief finance minister manufactured reasons for our mining assets to be stripped away. Of course they were sold to an unknown party, and by unknown I mean Angrääl.”
“Was anyone else attacked like this?” asked Millet.
“Oh, yes, I was not the only Lord of Hazrah with the courage to stand up to these interlopers. But our resistance was short lived. With the King and the temples against us, we were reduced to simple acts of defiance and petty acts of vandalism. Unfortunately, in my case they found my weakness.”
“And what might that have been?” asked Malstisos.
“My mother. As I became more brazen in my resistance, they threatened to kill her if I didn’t fall in line. My first reaction was to send her away. We have friends in Baltria, and I thought she’d be safe there, but they got to her before I could make the arrangements. I was told that she had volunteered to attend court in Angrääl as the personal representative of the King, but the truth is they are using her as leverage against me. It was a week after she left when the first Angrääl troops arrived. The King announced that there was a growing threat from the southern kingdoms, and they were only there to assist in our defense, but it was soon clear that it was an occupation.”
“It’s difficult to imagine all this,” said Millet. “The people of Hazrah would have risen up and fought in my day.”
“Some tried,” he said. “But any who took up arms were slaughtered and called a traitor to the throne. Most were arrested before they could organize and be send north.”
“Is that how you ended up in prison?” asked Maybell.
Jacob nodded slowly. “At first they said I was being held for questioning about a raid on a grain shipment. There was, of course, no such raid. It was clear I was framed to get me out of the way. They made it seem as if I was cooperating in order to coerce me into furthering their goals, but I refused. I think the only reason I’ve kept my head is that my mother has agreed to work with them.”
“I can’t believe Lady Nal’Thain would side with the Dark Knight over