"What is the relationship between this Prince and our greedy Baron? Sadly, when I was here as an apprenticed, Justinius didn't expose me as much to the nobility as I would've liked." Sophronia adds a sigh and looks wistful for a moment, whether for her missing pater or the lost opportunity, it's difficult to tell.
Marcus shrugs. "They are given drills, twice day. You provide moneys, I am organize tournament."
Sanno looks at Sophronia as though he thinks she's an idiot. "The Prince is Welsh; the Baron is English. Are you REALLY asking what their "relationship" is?!? Really???"
Hiems
I shall go. Not only could my magical aptitudes be needed, but I feel that, the sooner I take part into this covenant's life, the better.
Indeed O_o
Although hiem's surprise is less evident (Remember! Spok / Teal'c!)
This, surely, does not help.
Is there a way we can hide this from the Baron?
As I see it, we can't really stop the men from going, not without coercion, which is something I'd very much prefer to avoid.
Thing is, whatever we do, we're squirting the edges of the code, something I'm not quite comfortable with. An easy solution would be to explain the Baron that, as free men, we can't stop the archers from going, but that, being supportive of the English cause, we will help him in another fashion. If we could manage something that would benefit the baron personnally, in effect bribing him, without upsetting the power balance and while making clear we're doing this out of good will, we could probably get away with all this. For exemple, we could prepare him a longevity ritual, or create some enchantment that gives a better taste to his food.
"We have paid the man a thousand pounds over the last four years. We are already bribing him-- for the privilege of living on lands his family lost control of decades ago," Liliana interjects. "This raises the pertinent question: SHOULD we support the English cause?"
"Indeed, I just paid off the last bribe of 350 pounds of silver. I had assumed that this was an amount in arrears for several years of past due taxes. I only recently discovered that this is the latest annual amount, and I fully expect it go go up. So, we have, in essence taken sides by paying him as much as we have, without being cognizant of the true purpose of those funds. I can speculate that they are being used to defend or project English interests against Welsh interests."
Looking at Sanno, "It is quite conceivable that there is a familial relationship between the Baron and the Prince, it may be distant, but it could be there. We could be involving ourselves in a family squabble, or could be involving ourselves into something more. I find it interesting that a a selfstyled Prince is asking for but a few archers and not attempting to conscript the entire local population. There is mischief afoot here, and I think questioning or probing the Prince might be beneficial."
Apparently thinking out loud, "I'm inclined to tell the Baron and the Prince both to go pounds sand[1] with regards to their requests for cash, men or materiel. But of course, that isn't possible. Playing the middle can get dangerous, and right now we're likely to be cut in two."
(([1] I'm aware that this is a term not used at the time, but I wanted to come up with a way of conveying that she'd like to tell them both to go away and take their requests with them.
Thomas ap Rhodri: Prince of Gwynedd (Welsh)
Llewelyn Fawr: Prince of Gwynedd and self-styled Prince of Wales (Welsh)
Baron Robert de Montalt: Baron of Mold, which fell to the Welsh in 1147, was re-captured by the English but then lost again to Llewelyn Fawr (English)
de Montalt is a Norman. Thomas ap Rhodri and Llewelyn are both Welsh, and cousins.
And Sophia has no reason to assume what kind of numbers Thomas is or isn't conscripting. Of your covenfolk, the archers are all Welsh; everyone else is English, Jewish, or somewhere else. (Or a magus.)
O_o
Interesting.
This changes everything.
Maybe, then, we should convey to this Baron that we are already being quite generous, and that we could go elsewere. Or maybe seek another protector, like a Welsh one.
Who knows? Maybe his own liege would be happy to receive even part of that sum in exchange for us living here. Maybe, too, his liege would be curious as to what that Baron did of this wealth: I doubt very much he has been paid what he should.
Cygna: [color=red]"Even discounting the question of whether we should involve ourselves in a squabble between a Welsh prince and his cousin, since we are as far as I can tell in lands belonging to the English crown, of greater concern to me is whether we can without running afoul of the Oath we've all sworn and its caution against interfering with mundanes."
Liliana makes a tsking sound. "Such short-sightedness is so common amongst you mortals. Are you truly so daft as to believe it is not interference, to deny a Prince the right to conscript his own countrymen?
"The archers owed their loyalty to Aislinn, who promised them English blood. Aislinn is gone, but Thomas still lives, and even now consorts with the men who owe him their leal service."
"It would seem the simplest course of action, as far as the arches are concerned, would be to inform them that we do not wish them to leave. However, we understand they are here by their own choice and will not stop them should the wish to go." He leans back in the chair, picking a bit at the robes of his low station. "This should let them know how much we value them, and let them still follow their will. While we're likely to end up with no more archers, at least the parting will be well-recieved."
"Hrm. In past times the archers went off on campaigns and the covenant was alright. The covenant didn't interfere in the mundane wars. I'm not sure how or why it might be different this time. Is there something we're missing?"
Attravere fidgets a bit, then looks over to the turb captain.
"Marcus, do you anticipate any conflicts spilling over toward our covenant during the battles, this time? How close are these princes, anyway?"
Marcus shrugs. "Welsh and English, always fighting. Welsh and Welsh, always fighting. Different now? I not knowing. I trainer captain. Not am politician, not am scout spy."
"I think two Welsh princes battling each other benefits the Baron. And his rates to reside here have been going up. What is he doing with all this silver? Is he behind this somehow? Why is Thomas now taking up arms against his cousin? We could have him come to us and question him ourselves."
Good points.
If the battle is between welsh princes, we have nothing to fear of the baron, and can let the archers go, should they chose to. But the question of the silver remains, and, if I'm understand things rightly, will become more and more pressing with each passing year.
"May I remind everyone that the prince has agreed to wait only until dusk before he and his retinue resume their march? We do not have unlimited time with which to indulge everyone's paranoid delusions," Liliana chides testily.
"Then let them go if it is their wish. The covenant isn't in danger if the archers fulfill their service, so long as they return to us." Attravere replies.
"Let's have him come make the request so he knows who he's dealing with, and that we make decisions collectively. I'm inclined to let this happen, but I'd like to see how he comports himself."
((Check: Does Sophronia have any Common Law?))
((No common law))
"If you wish to presume to give orders to one who could well be seen as our liege lord, you may take the onus of that action on your own head. I'll have no part of it," Liliana sighs. "Now then, Little Samuel and his friend Claudia have been waiting patiently for quite some time. Samuel, I'm of a mind to ask Aequi to take you in. He is your Hermetic brother, and you would be able to remain in the same laboratory. Would that be acceptable?"
Shmuel gasps and fights back tears. "Y-- yes, of course. That would be-- that's the best I could hope for, and I would be grateful. How can I thank you Aunt Lily? Should I--"
She cuts him off abruptly with a wave of her hand. "He hasn't agreed to it yet. When he arrives we will ask him." Lily then turns to Claudia. "And you, child? What are your strengths? Why should we trust an outsider with our valuable texts?"