Kings of the North - Elizabeth Moon [158]
“Well,” the Knight-Commander said, leaning forward. “What is this thought?”
Together, Kieri and the king of Pargun laid out their idea, scarcely a plan as yet. Kieri made sure the Pargunese king spoke as much as he wished, that it was clear to Elis and the Knight-Commander that he was under no duress other than the reality of their mutual danger.
“Elis is of the royal house; she is nominally under the king’s command at all times.”
This time Elis merely looked at the Knight-Commander, not even opening her mouth; he shook his head.
“If we have peace, I need an ambassador at both this court and the court of Tsaia,” the king said. “We have always used members of the royal family; as Elis knows, I sent my wife’s sister here for the king’s coronation. For the last coronation, one of my brothers; I have heard here that he made a fool of himself on southern wine.”
“Brandy,” the Knight-Commander said. “We thought you had strong drink at home.”
“We do, but he was never allowed so much,” the king said. “But he was a young man.” He shrugged.
Kieri steered them back to the current matter. “As a member of the royal family, Elis could be an ambassador. She is young, and not yet skilled in the arts of diplomacy, but she is indubitably Pargunese.”
“I could at least trust her to tell the truth,” the king said. “She would always do so, even when it was inconvenient.”
Elis chuckled; they all looked at her, and she blushed. “Go ahead,” the Knight-Commander said.
“I’m sorry, sir—but the king—my father—is right. I hated courtly graces and pretense, and used to say the most appalling things … they were all true, but ill-timed.”
“Falk’s Knights must be courteous to all, in all difficulties,” the Knight-Commander said. He glanced at the king of Pargun. “It is one of the Precepts,” he said. “Our recruits must learn and practice courtesy, for Falk, even under humiliation, never stooped to rudeness.”
“We value plain speaking,” the king said.
“And we value the truth, but neither plain-speaking nor the truth need be rude,” the Knight-Commander said.
“The day turns,” Kieri said. “We have not much time, I think, from what the king said.” The king nodded. “If we succeed, we will have more time to learn one another’s ways, and discuss whether courtesy is lies or plain-speaking always truthful. But not now.”
They all looked at him. He smiled at them, a smile he had used on his troops. It had the same effect, he saw.
“If the king appoints Elis as his ambassador, and can convince his nobles that she has been honored—and if he can convince them that my past torments across the sea create a common ground with his people—”
“But will they accept a woman so young as an ambassador?”
The king shrugged. “I do not know. I can hope. She is known to be strong-willed, and to have read more than any of our other children. And she is, for our people, over-age for marriage. As an ambassador, she would be serving our people, and be—at least formally—under my command. We have sent women before; she is just younger than the others.”
“Her training at Falk’s Hall?”
“On my orders,” the king said, “now that I have met its commander, because I deem it the best way for her to learn about your people, and confirm or deny what we have long believed. All know she is awkward at court; at your court I would be fearful she might create an insult—” Elis looked furious, but said nothing, Kieri noticed. Only a short time in Falk’s Hall and she was already learning self-control. “So I would tell my people,” the king went on. Then, with a rueful look, “If they give me the chance.”
“I have called a Council meeting,” Kieri said. “They know, of course, about the Pargunese army across the river, and they know what forces we have, but I would refine this thought.”
“It’s sounding more and more like a plan to me,” the Knight-Commander said. “It lacks only the way you will keep the