The war room was beginning to empty. The occupants off to send their messages and digest the changes discussed. Jayln had gone with Tia to coordinate their alliance more. Fenrin smiled at the idea of fifty large bird people wandering the Hidden Valley. If Tia was any indication, the two groups had much in common and Fenrin had a sneaking suspicion this wouldn't be a temporary friendship.

Thoughts of home made Fenrin's heart ache, but his determination grew stronger. Jayln had broken the news of Anwen's murder to him and he felt that death deeply. It was his job to protect the people of the valley and he'd failed them. He was sure Tryst would have plenty to say, although it was Echa who would probably kill him. From what he'd overheard from Jayln, the ex-slave was practically heading the people's militia in their mayor’s absence.

Fenrin's eyes wandered over the map until they rested on Stadrhym. His niece was there, trapped in her mother's web, another victim of Fenrin's failure.

“I'll stop her, Fiona. I promise. Just hold on.”

Fenrin's attention was broken as the chair next to him scraped the floor. He turned to find Yuan taking the seat beside him. Fenrin glanced around. Matius and Yu'jana were talking with the Arch Mage on the other side of the room, but apart from them, Yuan and Fenrin were the only remaining people at the table.

"You have a keen mind for tactics," Yuan remarked.

"Comes from a lifetime of experience, although I'll admit I've never done anything of this scale."

The man chuckled. "Very few have. You are an intriguing person, Fenrin, and I admit I am terribly curious about you."

"What do you mean?" Fenrin started.

At his reaction Yuan smiled. "Ah, I'm sorry. As I'm sure you'd heard, my people are scholars, not fighters. I have always been interested in the ebb and flow of history and merely meant that you seem to be interwoven with current events in a way that will inevitably make it into the history books."

Puzzled, Fenrin felt odd under Yuan's gaze, his angular eyes studying him intently.

"History," Yuan continued, "is made by people. Countries, governments, wars are all just labels and categories for the people that make them. It is important that we acknowledge the individuals who are guiding threads of events and I believe you are one of these guiding threads. I wonder if, should we both survive, you would consider coming to Literatus and allowing me to record your life. I don't doubt it would be both an interesting tale as well as a key companion to what the other scribes will write about these times."

"You want to...write a book about me?" Fenrin asked dumbfounded.

"Indeed."

"It would not be a pleasant tale," Fenrin said darkly.

"What history is?" Yuan pressed, undeterred.

"Wouldn't the Arch Mage be a better subject? He's been around much longer than I have."

"Yes, well, the Arch Mage is sure to be recorded in his own way."

Fenrin studied the man again. He was looking at Fenrin eagerly but didn't seem to have any ulterior motives. "Is that why you're here? To...record events?"

Yuan smiled, his teeth perfectly straight and white. "In a way. Many of my colleagues could do the same but I was sent because of my particular area of expertise. I may personally believe it is people who make history, but I am also keenly aware of the importance of structure and the danger of chaos. I am a scholar of wars and empires, of governments and coups. I was sent to make sure the council considered the long reaching implications of their actions. En has not seen upheaval of this nature since the Great War and it barely survived recovery then."

Yuan gestured broadly to the map. "The Iron Queen is unlike other conquerors. She doesn't seem to care about the long term, does not build her empire on a firm foundation to last generations. That makes her actions and the actions of her opponents especially dangerous."

"That's why you sheltered the Solis Empress?" Fenrin remarked.

"Precisely. If an area is left without a leader or government, the chaos is costly. The price is not only lives but even entire cultures."

Fenrin nodded. That was not something he was unfamiliar with. Valhym was constantly scrambling to avoid such problems as Jarls rose and fell. Even when the Bear died, that had been one of the more dangerous times for Valhym.

"I am curious. What do you think will become of Valhym?" Yuan asked. "Would you take your sister's place at its throne?"

"What!?" Fenrin looked at the man, shocked. "Definitely not!"

Yuan cocked his head, his sleeve, painted with delicate images of clouds and waves, brushing over the map. "Then what will come of the south of En?"

Fenrin shrugged. "I imagine the Jarls will take control again, perhaps one will declare themselves the new High King or Queen."

"Not a particularly peaceful transition. The Iron Queen's rule has torn through her own nation the most. Of all the parts of En, it is Valhym that is most likely to shrivel and die."

Fenrin gave a rough laugh. "You don't know Valhym people very well then."

"Perhaps not. Although I have heard of its deaths and have read of its famines. The queen's war is costly and as I said, she is frustratingly shortsighted. It's a miracle her ambitions haven't already sucked the nation dry."

Yuan watched carefully as Fenrin considered this. He had not been in his homeland in many years. In truth, he had no idea what Valhym was currently like and Yuan's points seemed logical enough. However, he was wrong about one thing—Lyra wasn't so short-sighted.

Sure, he agreed that she probably put no thought into the state of the world past her lifetime, but she wouldn't let anything that was hers die while it had anything left to give. After all that's why she...

Fenrin's fingers curled into fists. Lyra left her daughter to clean up her mess, to pay the price of her ambitions for her. Just as she left it now to the king.

Matius, as if sensing his friend's anger, drifted over. "What's this I hear about Fenrin becoming king?"

Fenrin gave him a dirty look but Matius just winked and Fenrin wondered how long he'd been eavesdropping. Yuan pulled his hands back into his sleeves. "We were discussing the future of Valhym."

Nodding, Matius patted Fenrin's back. "We can't run from our homelands forever, eh, Fen? I believe you are an expert on this sort of thing, Yuan, what's your opinion of Valhym's situation."

Yuan gave Matius a curious look. "I've already given my opinion. Valhym is held together by the thinnest of threads and has corroded under its queen's rule."

Matius held up a finger. "Corroded, yes, but also still together. An strange situation to be sure and one that comes down to a single person, an interesting man I've had the pleasure of meeting on a few occasions. Well perhaps meeting is too strong of a word."

Fenrin's brows furrowed. "You mean Eirik?"

Nodding Matius's face grew more serious and he turned to Yuan. "I believe the King of Valhym is the secret behind Lyra's success. He is the thread you said held Valhym together. In my opinion, her biggest mistake was pressing her attack before her backup plan was ready."

"Backup plan?" Yuan asked, his voice pure curiosity.

With an apologetic look to Fenrin, Matius explained, "Lyra has a daughter, Fiona, who was only recently returned to Valhym. No doubt Lyra intends to groom her daughter to take her father's place since the poor man has been shouldering the cost of the empire himself for all these years."

"A daughter." Yuan considered. "You believe she would replace her mother, as the Empress will for Solis?"

"She's not like the empress," Fenrin breathed, "she's not ready, doesn't deserve to have that responsibility dropped on her."

"Surely, she's known the role of the throne?" Yuan asked, confused.

Fenrin mentally cursed Matius when the man explained gently, "Fiona spent the last seven years as a civilian in the Hidden Valley with Fenrin. She had no idea what her mother's plans or intentions were."

"Ah, once more you are at the heart of things, my friend," Yuan said, looking over Fenrin's scarred and scowling face.

"An unexpected princess and an experienced king," Yuan mused, "Perhaps there is more hope for Valhym than I thought."

That caught Fenrin off guard. "What do you mean?"

Yuan stood. "Well if things are as you said, this King Eirik is the perfect person to hold Valhym together a little longer after the queen's defeat. Then your Princess Fiona can rebuild the nation completely free of her mother's influence."

The Literan bowed. "Yes, I would say I was wrong, Valhym is perhaps better off than the others. I would recommend a focus on protecting the king and princess, the future of Valhym is in their hands." He turned to leave but paused. "Oh, and Fenrin, I do hope you will consider my proposal."

When the man left, Matius turned to Fenrin. "What did he mean? I admit I missed the beginning of your conversation."

"Eavesdropping isn't very polite, you know," Fenrin chided but Matius just shrugged. "The man has some strange notion that I'd be a good subject for a book."

Matius laughed and it drew the eyes of Yu'jana and the Arch Mage who gave him an irritated look before returning to their own conversation. Matius wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. You just took me by surprise is all. You do have to admit, your life would make an interesting story."

"Maybe, but I don't like the idea he's got that I'm some sort of ‘guiding thread of history’ or whatever."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. It's like I told Jayln once, worrying about destiny or fate doesn't help anything. We can all only do the best we can each day to make the world a better place."

Matius stood up and gave Fenrin's shoulder a squeeze. "Come on, Yuan was right, we need to consider Valhym's future. I think it might be time to think seriously about what to do when Lyra is gone."

"That's a mighty big when."