Styxx arched a brow at that. "With whom?"
"The Arcadians. They're encroaching on Corinth, and as you know, the Corinthians have long been allies of ours. King Clietus has requested a commitment of forces from me so that he can repel the Arcadians."
"Why are you conferring with me?"
"I'd like to know what you would do if you were king."
"Meet with my advisors and not my inexperienced son."
His father actually laughed at that. "I have met with my advisors, and I've made my decision, but I wanted to know what you would do in my place."
Ah, that explained this futile lesson. "You're testing me."
"I am, indeed."
"And if I fail?"
"I'd rather you fail as prince than as a king."
Styxx took a small sip of wine and laid his head back while his thoughts whirled about. "What did your advisors say?"
"That we owe it to the Corinthians to help them. They have been vital allies for a long time. They don't believe we should make a new enemy when we don't have to.... So tell me, boy, what would you do?"
Make the decision when I'm not high.
But he couldn't tell his father that. So he answered to the best of his fogged mind with the lessons Galen had taught him. "The decision to go to war isn't just about thinking what will happen if you win. It's mostly thinking about what will happen should you fail, and weighing the benefits of winning against the consequences of losing. What I wouldn't do is send good Didymosian men out to die for a king too weak to hold his throne on his own. If the Arcadians are set on Corinth, they won't stop. They never do, and like the Dorians, their soldiers are fiercely trained professionals who are ruthless to their bitter cores." Meanwhile the bulk of the Corinthian and Didymosian soldiers were ordinary citizens who only trained a few days each month, or two weeks a year. "The Arcadians hold much more territory and have four times the army of the Corinthians. Even if we send all we have trained, it won't be enough to stop them, and the Corinthians will fall. Then, angry at us for our alliance and aid, the Arcadians will turn their sights to Didymos, knowing we're now weakened from war, and unable to repel their greater army. Rather, I'd send an emissary, and tribute, to the Arcadian king to start an alliance with them. Especially since the Arcadians border the Dorians, who are our biggest threat. Should the Dorians ever turn their eyes on our wealth and lands, it would benefit us to have an alliance with the kingdom that borders them on the north and east while we have them on the south. Even with their greatly trained forces, the Dorians can't win a war on three fronts against a united enemy with mutual disdain for them."
"Why should the Arcadians trust us after we've just broken an alliance with the Corinthians?"
"What fool truly trusts an ally? The Arcadian king's smarter than that, and he will understand and respect that you are too intelligent to be pulled into a losing war. Besides, he knows that an alliance with us could help him should the Dorians ever come after his holdings. If that's not enough of a reason, the Arcadian king is recently widowed. Your virgin daughter is one of the most beautiful of all women in Greece. Offer her hand to sweeten the tie."
I should have thought of that.
Styxx pretended not to have heard his father's mental comment. "So what did you do, Father?"
"I went with my advisors' suggestion." I wonder if we can call back the emissary.... He lifted his cup in salute to Styxx. "Perhaps it's time I appoint you as one of my advisors."
Styxx scoffed. "Your advisors would be highly offended to have me in their ranks, given my age and war experience. They'd take it as a personal affront and think you're mocking them with my presence."
His father frowned. "When did you become so good at diplomacy?"
Birth. He'd been forced to navigate both his mother's and his father's capricious moods all his life. But his father had never asked his opinions before, and in the past, he'd been too sober to give them.
His father narrowed his eyes at him. "Here's my next question. Would you have the same answer if the Corinthians were led by a beautiful queen instead?"
Styxx laughed at the thought.
His laughter died an instant later as he looked up to see his sister approaching. By the pinched look on her face, he wondered if she hadn't heard his suggestion to marry her off. She was in a fierce pique and didn't care who knew it.
That brought out the little brother in him and he couldn't resist rankling her more. "Hey, it's lamb-head. Where have you been, sweet sister?"
"Away," she snapped angrily with a glare that should have left him in bloody pieces on the ground. Rudely, she dismissed him and turned to address her king. "Father, might I have a word alone with you?"
His father glanced at him before he answered. "Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of your brother. One day Styxx will be your king, too, and you will be answerable to him."
The expression on her face said that she couldn't think of anything worse. If only she knew what true hell and misery were. But then no one had ever beaten her for any offense. And they'd never held her down and ...
Styxx winced at the vicious memories and lashed out at the one bitch who had slapped him every time she drew near. If not physically, verbally.