Lord Samar looked up again, meeting Kargan’s eyes. ‘I will speak plainly, Great King. It may be enough to put down the rebellion. The gold will buy weapons and armor, and the promise of greater pay will call many of the deserters back to my service. I can bribe some of the rebel leaders to betray their fellows, and perhaps it will even give me the head of the snake. But’—he let the word hang for a moment—‘I would prefer to return to my homeland with twice this amount. It is to both of our interests that this . . . situation . . . is resolved quickly.’

Kargan tried not to scowl. He wasn’t angry at the prince of Haria, who was doing his best to crush a rebellion and restore order to his realm, and had the grace to be candid. It was the fact that tribal loyalties and local independence movements were always trying to unravel the order he’d created. Since becoming king he’d brought about peace between the Galean nations and Ilea, and trade was thriving. He’d installed programs to reduce poverty, and at the insistence of the king of Xanthos he’d even regulated the treatment of slaves. His soldiers patrolled the streets of his cities night and day; crime was at its lowest level for decades, even in the smaller towns.

Rebellion led to chaos, and chaos led to death. As a military leader, he’d always looked after the safety and well-being of his men. Now that he was king, his responsibility was to every inhabitant of the Ilean Empire.

‘I appreciate your candor, Lord Samar, and so I will share something with you in kind . . .’

As he spoke, Kargan’s eyes drifted to Javid, standing behind the file of courtiers but so tall that he towered head and shoulders above the rest. A skilled warrior with broad features, thick lips, and his hair tied back behind his head, Javid was also his most loyal adviser, and the only man alive whom, now that he was king, Kargan would call a friend. But he was a commoner, and as such Kargan could only harvest his thoughts when they were away from prying eyes.

While the prince of Haria waited for Kargan’s revelation, Kargan saw Javid give him a slight nod.

‘The truth is that I’m expecting a shipment of gold to arrive any day. When I promised you gold, it was this shipment that I had in mind.’ Kargan frowned. ‘But unfortunately it’s late. I’m trying not to think about pirates, or storms, or several other things that readily occur to me. You may wait if you wish, or you may return home with the gold in front of you. I respect you enough to know that the choice should be yours.’

Kargan raised his voice, casting his gaze over the assembled people all watching him speak. ‘And I say this to everyone here today . . .’