“Yes. One who died later took him. The prince before ordered it. Ordered not kill but leave to die. Datturnaknitunak is—was—one seeks truth. Prince before said not looking, not talking. Datturnaknitunak would look, would tell. Not … obedient to prince. Said to Law.”

“Did you know this before Dragon came?” Arcolin asked.

“Some.” The estvin looked down. “It is shame. We believed—we thought we believed—the prince spoke Law. Fear ruled, not Law. So … you should choose him.”

“Would fear rule you again?” Arcolin asked.

“I … not know.”

Arcolin nodded. “You know I am a man of war. You know I understand courage?”

“Yes, prince.”

“When you came to me last winter, you were afraid.”

“Yes, prince.”

“But you came. You were afraid of Dragon, and of me, but you came. And when I offered refuge, you were afraid, were you not?”

“Yes, prince, but—but no other choices.”

“Always other choices,” Arcolin said, a direct quote from their Law. The estvin looked up at him. “Always other choices. You could have chosen death, but you chose life and the risks of life. I say to you: that was courage. Every one of you who came—you kapristi and your kapristinya and the littlest of the children among you—you all had courage greater than your fear. You came into a human place, among humans who had not the Law, and lived among us from winter into spring and then moved here, to new stone, stone you knew had been infested with orcs. That is courage greater than fear.”

“The prince is merciful.”

“The prince intends to be just,” Arcolin said. Quoting again from the Law, he went on. “Kapristin deal not in mercy, but in justice—is it not so?”

“It is so!” The estvin’s eyes were shining now.

“The prince will not have confusion about this,” Arcolin said. “For the Law is the Law, and even a human—even one such as I, newly learning the Law—can recognize justice. Because the prince is human, the prince will need what we call a judicar to guide the prince in matters of Law, until such time as the prince has learned it perfectly, but the prince will rule.”

“Yes, O prince!”

“And for this, the prince will also take the words of the estvin into account. For a prince who must travel abroad needs both a steward—a hesktak—and an advisor in the Law. And it is in my mind that they should not be the same person.”

“It is so, my prince.”

Dattur reappeared with the other gnomes who were in gray. All bowed.

“Would you see everyone?” the estvin asked.

“Not today,” Arcolin said, hoping that was the right answer. “I must go, to prepare for holding court for the humans of my realm tomorrow. Perhaps I should wait to greet you all until all are formally dressed.”