"Anything further to report?" Emperor William Davidow inquired as he and Chief of Intelligence Doruni meandered through the immaculate gardens of the Grand Cathedral of Lumfinester. "You seem uncommonly subdued today. If the Cynthian princess troubles your thoughts, I understand completely." The emperor's tone remained measured, unhurried. "I harbor no reproach toward you, Doruni. Each of us bears distinct responsibilities, and this particular burden was never yours to shoulder. I never presumed this endeavor would unfold without complications; hence we must direct our attention toward more promising ventures—specifically, Raveirmom's offensive. As for the Cynthian princess, she can be located afterward. Assuming, of course, she survives."

  "I thank Your Majesty for your understanding. I only know when to speak, and when to hold my tongue." Doruni watched two glasswing butterflies--Greta oto, their wings like shards of clear ice--tangle and part in the air above the flowerbeds. "And you always know what words fit the moment, don't you, Doruni?" The Emperor turned. "Those little wisps of air seem to have stolen your heart."

  "They're truly remarkable creatures, Your Majesty. Following their flight path proves nearly impossible, and even when resting upon vibrant blossoms, they remain virtually undetectable."

  "They bear a striking resemblance to you." Davidow studied the glasswing perched upon a vervain stem, resisting an impulse to disturb its pollination. "Omnipresent yet imperceptible. And with such exquisite appearances—observers notice, yet harbor no suspicion. Far more valuable than those web-spinning vermin lurking in shadowed corners."

  Doruni chuckled, a dry, rustling sound. "The part about beauty, I will discount, Your Majesty. The rest, I take as commendation. And yes, as you foresaw, my little glasswings have brought me whispers. The attack on Cynthia has begun."

  "Earlier than my projections indicated. Raveirmom's methodologies appear most efficacious."

  "Indeed they do. Duke Dear has successfully drawn enemy attention toward Cynthia's western territories, which should substantially enhance our primary offensive force's advantage and expand our potential gains."

  "What movements from Duviliel?"

  "None detected, Your Majesty."

  "So King Royce has kept his part of the bargain, then."

  "That man cannot be trusted, Your Majesty."

  "Nevertheless, he has honored our treaty, Doruni," the emperor observed. "Consider—he alone has restrained the northern kingdoms, though few among them harbor genuine martial ambitions. This has spared us the peril of encirclement; their combined military strength might otherwise rival our own."

  "Yet the treaty explicitly outlines his demands. Brigar shall persist as a recognized sovereign state in the northern territories. This presents a significant obstacle to Your Majesty's grand unification designs."

  "One by one, Chief. That has always been my way, when I brought Gorowyn to heel, and Paripha, and all the little kingdoms on our borders. Break them before they can stand together."

  "Then Your Majesty must prepare to weather the consequences of treaty violation. While King Royce maintains no illusions regarding our trustworthiness and has undoubtedly anticipated potential aggression against Brigar, breaking our covenant would irrevocably damage Godma's honor—even after successful annexation. We would bear the stigma of oath-breakers, and the Empire's prestige among nations would diminish substantially."

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  "What surprises me, Doruni," Emperor William said, a hint of playful malice in his eyes, "is this... modern mind of yours. This practical streak. Before the Ptolemaicks fell--back in the Age of Squabbles--lies and shameless betrayal were the coin of every kingdom at war. A truce sworn at sunrise could be spat upon by sunset. That was common fare for the Ptolemaick lords and their like."

  "But Your Majesty, we now rule a land thrice the size of the old Ptolemaick domain, and this land was, not so long ago, a patchwork of different kingdoms, different peoples, different ways..."

  The Emperor cut him off. "They are Godmans now. All of them."

  "...Nevertheless," Doruni persisted, "among these populations exist elements harboring resentment toward Godma, elements that would eagerly orchestrate our downfall or destruction. Designate them reactionaries, Assassin Brotherhood, or whatever terminology you prefer—their fundamental nature remains unchanged. At the first opportunity, they will exploit any vulnerability. Should we violate our agreements, they will foment unrest throughout these regions, directly threatening imperial governance."

  "I concur with your assessment, which precisely explains my characterization of your perspective as modern." William Davidow's gaze lingered momentarily upon a sage blossom. "I too have contemplated the implications—having scarcely concluded our southern conquests before launching northern campaigns—and recognized the potentially deleterious impression this creates among all Godman citizens. To conscript newly subjugated populations, still lacking stability, still bereft of Godman identity and allegiance—this has always struck me as imprudent. Yet I find myself without alternatives, Doruni. The revelation from the Triad compels me to proceed without further delay, to achieve swift, decisive victories."

  The intelligence chief remained uncertain regarding the emperor's reference to a "revelation," yet prudently refrained from inquiry. "As Your Majesty undoubtedly recognizes, this past decade has witnessed our suppression of numerous rebellious factions and diverse brotherhood organizations. The northern conflict, in particular, has precipitated an unprecedented surge in such activities. In our present circumstances, reputation and military prowess hold equal significance for the Empire. We cannot afford to provide underground conspirators with opportunities, yet must simultaneously preserve the confidence of our vassal states. Furthermore, regarding Illuviλofer..."

  "The Elves," the Emperor stated flatly, "will lift no hand. They will watch, as they always watch, and do nothing."

  Though privately disagreeing, Doruni maintained diplomatic silence. "Following Cynthia's subjugation, we shall require additional pretexts for campaigns against the remaining northern states."

  "This would inevitably render our Brigar covenant worthless."

  "Brigar may await our later attention. Our primary focus must be directed toward the remaining states. Duviliel lies just beyond the Kulen Mountains, the first northern kingdom we shall encounter after traversing the Throat Road. We require a justification—sufficiently plausible to warrant our armies' advance upon Brigar's capital."

  The spymaster scrutinized the emperor's countenance. "I suspect Your Majesty has already formulated a solution?"

  "Indeed I have, Doruni. Two solutions, in fact." He gestured for the spymaster to approach more closely. "What pretext facilitated our invasion of Crividsylvan? Tariffs. We alleged that Crivi merchants were flooding Godma markets with artificially underpriced timber—dumping practices—and initiated investigations accordingly. Subsequently, we imposed tariffs upon Crividsylvan's lumber guilds so exorbitant that even our own nobility blanched at the rates—far more oppressive for the comparatively impoverished Crivians. Consequently, Crividsylvan curtailed timber exports to our territories while substantially increasing prices. Given that nearly sixty-seven percent of our timber originated from Crividsylvan, this manufactured crisis provided ample justification for our declaration of hostilities." The emperor resumed his leisurely promenade. "Any man with half a wit could see the Crivi timber 'dumping' was a fiction, a convenient lie to give us our war. But never forget, Doruni, among the five or six million souls in this Empire, most are... suggestible. They backed our war because the lack of timber touched their own tables, their own hearths."