A Question for Intharas

At dinner, Intharas address the food with a bemused expression on his face, still obviously thinking hard.

I took pity on him... or gave him more to think about.  "Intharas, you realize that I am protected from rebellion, revolution or assassination by the vodai."

He looked up and just raised an eyebrow.

"My heirs..."  I gazed fondly down the table to where little Inensa was industriously lining up her beans along the edge of her plate in exact rows, while Daurama leaned over all the way against her restraining strap to drop handfuls of meat scraps to the eager ring of fluffies and cats.  I was still waiting for my food taster to acknowledge that it was safe for me to eat, but the food for the girls had been tasted much earlier than for me.

"Being so young," I continued.  "Would have my wife Kyriala as Regent, backed by my mother."  He glanced down the table to where Inensa Mahid sat next to my wife, listening.  She had loosened up a great deal but was also more still than most of the people at the table.  My grandfather was too ill to sit to dinner and she, foregoing her status as Dowager Imperatrix, took his place in court as Imperial Pharmacist most days, wearing the white associated with the office, and scarlet gloves, the brilliant colour of fresh blood.  She turned, feeling us looking and there was the faintest ghost of a smile on her face.

"Kyriala Aan and Inensa Mahid as Regents," Intharas said, paling slightly, but only a little.

"And the Prince, Ilesias, my brother is a terribly fierce protector.  He'd probably bring his horses and the dogs in to guard them day and night if I were so unfortunate as to be deposed by violence."

"I... do understand."

He raised his glass to me.  "You've done well to protect yourself, Imperator... even if we didn't all know, down to the house mice, that your biggest protection is the Temple itself."

I could feel my face heating up.  Damn, how easily I still blushed.  "Truly I am the safest man alive on the planet today."

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:: [log sub 456.66]I still think we should approach Minis instead of the Yeoli.::

:: [log sub 456-67] Jane, we know that you favour the Arkans.  He's still too young and he's not democratic minded enough.  He's only the first generation of his culture to be voted in.  The Yeolis have more than fifteen hundred years of vote behind them.::

:: [log sub 456.68] Art here.  Might I remind all debaters that we do have time::

::[log sub 456.69] Art is correct.  Let us continue this discussion on another thread.::

;;[log sub 456-70] I shall continue observing.::