“When you’re in Vérella next,” Dorrin said, “you should talk to the Merchants’ Guild about trade to his dukedom. It’s been profitable and he kept the roads in good repair. I expect he’ll do the same here.”

“I hope so. I’ve always traded on the east-west routes, not to the north, but if that’s true … then good.”

Should she mention that she knew Kieri wanted to include merchants in the Council here? No, that was for him to say.

By late afternoon, Dorrin had conferred again with the king and Selfer. On her way back to the palace, she stopped by the stables to check on her own mount, hoping to find Paksenarrion there. Paks, indeed, was in the stall with her paladin mount.

“Good evening, Captain,” Paks said. “Did you ride out today?”

“No … Paks, I wanted to talk to you, if you’ve time.”

“Certainly.” Paks stood up, giving the red horse a caress as she left the stall. “What is it?”

“The prince of Tsaia has asked me to take on the Verrakai matter,” Dorrin said. “I believe you know that I am Verrakai by birth … I left home and they erased my name, they said, but—”

“Why are you telling me?” Paks asked.

“It’s complicated.” Dorrin stopped in front of her own horse’s stall. The sturdy bay put out his head and she stroked it absently. “I hated what they did; I ran to Lyonya and entered the Company of Falk. At one time, as a girl, I had dreamed of coming back to them as a … a paladin, like you. Breaking the bonds of Liart’s barbed chain, making them better … but I was not chosen for such training.”

“They don’t need a paladin,” Paks said. “They need a good ruler. Paladins don’t govern … I told the Council here that.”

“Why?” Dorrin asked. “I always wondered about that. Why wouldn’t paladins be good at it?”

“I’m not sure,” Paks said. “Perhaps because good governance requires different gifts. Rulers must stay with their land, wherever it is, while our calls to quest may take us anywhere. It would not be good for a land if its ruler left suddenly.”

“True. I had not thought of that.”

“And most rulers have heirs of the body,” Paks said. “Paladins are vulnerable in their loves … we are not encouraged to form families as rulers do.”

“So it is not simply that we lack abilities that you—that paladins have?”

“No … I think not. We are not perfect, Captain, just different. A sword and a plough are both useful, but for different things.”

“My family have done bad things, Paks. Very bad. I do not know how I will change their habits.”

“Do you know why they follow Liart?”

“They say it is the only way to preserve and strengthen the mageborn abilities,” Dorrin said. “They tried to initiate me, as a child. I was uncooperative. A spineless coward, as my father and uncle put it. But the others consented. I do not know how willingly.” She swallowed. “Because the Code of Gird forbids magery, some magelords fled into exile—”