“My prince, I would be lying if I said you could replace Brion; no man could. But you’ll be a good king—perhaps even a great king, if I read the signs correctly.” His voice became brisk, matter-of-fact.

“Brion provided well for you. From the time you could sit unaided, he had you on horseback daily. Your sword masters were the finest to be found anywhere, your skill with the lance and bow prodigious in a boy twice your age.

“You’ve studied the annals of military history and strategy, languages, philosophy, mathematics, medicine. He even let you touch on the occult arts that would someday be such an important part of your life—in defiance of your mother’s wishes, I might add, though this was carefully concealed from all who might have objected.

“There was a more practical side to your education, though. For there was infinite wisdom in the seeming un-orthodoxy of allowing a young and sometimes fidgeting crown prince to sit at his father’s side in the Council chambers. From the beginning, though you were probably unaware of it at first, you acquired the rudiments of impeccable rhetoric and logic that were as much Brion’s trademark as any feat of swordsmanship or valor.

“You learned to counsel and receive counsel wisely and unpretentiously. And through it all, you were made to understand that a wise king does not speak in anger nor judge until all the facts are before him.”

Morgan paused in his oratory and looked down at his handful of pebbles, as though surprised to realize he still held them. Gently, he tipped his hand and let them drop to the ground.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this yet, Kelson, but I think in many ways you may be even better equipped for rule than Brion was. You have a certain sensitivity, an appreciation of—life, perhaps?—that I’m not sure Brion ever really grasped. I don’t suppose it made him any less a king—and he listened dutifully enough to the philosophers as well as the warriors. But I was never sure he really understood them. I think perhaps you do.”

Kelson stared hard at the ground between his legs, blinking back tears of remembering. Then he raised his head and looked out across the pool once more.

“I know that’s meant to be reassuring. But it doesn’t really answer my question. Or rather, it answers the question I asked, but I didn’t ask the right one. I suppose I really wanted to know about the Shadowed One’s role in all of this.”

Morgan raised one eyebrow warily. “What about her?” he asked, remembering what Nigel had told him.