We ought to offer Arthur the services of our own scholar Gunther Agnatius for several months; and instruct Gunther that, while attending on the new Count and giving him these lessons and other counsel, to impress upon him the importance of an educated society, and to offer a vision for a great center of learning, centered naturally in Feroshire. Try to sell him on the vision.
We also shouldn't forget that, quite apart from whether he's a bastard whoreson or not, Arthur won't be reaching majority until age 20 even if he had received the very best upbringing. Therefore a regent will help him govern the county until then. I think Uriel can take this influential and high-profile role with our blessing and encouragement. If the Duke is ambivalent, as seems to be the case, then let's not ruin our relationship with him by being the obvious beneficiary of the results. And, at any rate, I think many of us wish to go back to growing our town in peace after all this upheaval.
Also, continue with preparation and promotion of our spring fair, commemorating the new Count, and invite Arthur.
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Others may disagree, but I think we should write to the Duke and give him a full disclosure of our role in the recent turmoil. And by full disclosure, I mean "full" in the way of filling a wine cup full: neither so much as to spill over and cause a stain, nor so little as to leave doubt of our open and obliging manner.
We can reveal that, due to tensions with the previous Count, we already had well-placed friends listening in the court. As soon as Owen assumed de facto rule, we began to hear that he was seeking an excuse to claim our rich mines in addition to the title of Count. Alarmed by this, we put more effort into listening and heard further rumours that he also was searching for a bastard son of Foles, and growing concerned at the motives of this search, we went to some personal risk in finding and ensuring the boy's safety by sending him into hiding elsewhere. We planned to bring the matter to the Duke in the spring, but events precipitated at such a dizzying rate, with ugly allegations stirring in Curbiston of murder and patricide, and general misrule upsetting the nobles there, that soon Uriel Lope was asking us for the boy and to march with him on Curbiston, whereupon we complied with the Marshal as our duty.
The brief battle in the tower came and passed, and we have set about returning to our lands, but stayed long enough to witness the trial of Owen and his wife. It appeared from our vantage point that the witnesses were many and damning, the crime horrid and unthinkable, the populace enraged and howling for their heads, the establish nobles of Curbiston also insistent, and it seemed to us that his verdict, while swift and perhaps even hasty, was understandable in the context of the situation, and not wholly in his control. We ask the Duke not to fault the young lord for acting a bit rashly in the execution of his father's murderers. We have met with him several times since, and feel confident that he, with Uriel as his regent, will grow into a fine steward of the trust and treasure that the Duke has reposed in him.
End by proposing that our Spring Fair would be an excellent place for the Duke to receive the new Count's fealty in person.
(note: nothing about the Rat or actually creating the gossip that horrified us. We have a few well-placed listeners, not a whisper mill. We also mutate a few details that can never be challenged by those left living. Owen was already aware and afraid of a bastard, and we merely aided his escape.)
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Topic: Lordship: A Suggestion Game (Read 328305 times)