"It seems like the major options are pretending that you're holding me in prison somewhere and I'm making you items on demand, acknowledging that I'm free and trading with you, or pretending you had me killed and concealing the signature on all of the magic items with the spell Magic Aura, which I suspect I can figure out how to make permanent. Lying doesn't work on the gods, presumably, but it might forestall various court plots, and make spies for other countries less nervous or interested."

"I worry that pretending I had you killed risks even worse plots if anyone learns it's not true, which they probably will even if you figure out Magic Aura, which to be clear sounds very useful anyway especially if it blocks the magical signature of Velgarth spells. I - think I can pull off having the public story be that you're still in my custody? Especially if you're intending to set up your facility here in the north anyway, and stay behind shields against Velgarth scrying, I can definitely spare Altarrin often enough to cast those for you. ...Does it have to be a tower, I'm not sure the climate is ideal for towers but you're welcome to take over this facility, or I guess any of the dozen others that aren't in use." 

"It doesn't technically have to be a tower but I'm going to give myself some appalling polar melancholia if I live here full time. I guess I can Teleport between a secure facility here and an undisclosed wilderness somewhere where the sun rises."

"Very bright magical lights do help with that! Though I suppose it is still not the same as the actual sun, and power input is an issue, this region is very low on ambient mage-energies. Unfortunately I am not sure there are any uninhabited but pleasant non-polar wildernesses that are not god-claimed territory, and I am not sure you would enjoy a tropical swamp full of biting insects and venomous amphibians much better than this region." 

"Well, see, that's what the tower is for, so you're above biting-insect and venomous-amphibian range, up high enough the air is clean and cool and the sunsets are pretty. - I'm not set on a tower, and if I need to grit my teeth and work underground until I'm seventh circle and can work out of a demiplane, I will."

"In that case I suppose I can recommend you some excellent uninhabited tropical-latitude islands. Though having a permanent demiplane would be excellent as well, once you can do that." He frowns. "Is your magic any good for construction, or are you going to want me to build you a tower as well?" 

"Stone Shape will do it. Not quickly, but it doesn't take any condemned prisoners - oh, that reminds me of another useful thing I should be able to do, I can turn people to stone, and then use Shrink Item to make them very small and optionally made out of cloth. I'd need to do some testing, but I think neither of those transformations would kill them - they're both reversible with my magic - and then you can have them on hand to kill if you need the extra mage-energy unexpectedly." 

Bastran is making a very interesting expression about that. 

Altarrin just looks thoughtful. "I am not usually in situations where I need sudden access to construction-project quantities of mage-energy, but it - might be worth setting up if I need to go into a combat zone again. I assume it will be a while before you have it, if you need to re-derive the spellform for it?" 

"I do need to rederive it, but I've seen it, uh, intimately, and it's a high priority because I don't want to kill people when I can avoid it and I don't have many spells that will reliably be nonlethal. ...and it also seems related to soul-trapping, structurally and conceptually. I'd expect to have it in the next few months."

Nod. 

Bastran rubs his chin. 

"All right. I want you to give me your oath that you won't work against the Empire, and I want you to agree to specific compulsions not to harm the Empire or try to assassinate me or, I don't know, sneak into the palace looking like other people without telling me first – probably a bunch of other things, I need more time to think about it. They don't need to be motivation-affecting, if you'd prefer not. I want you to agree to having Altarrin visit, I know he wants to anyway, and part of that will be checking them. I would like if you agreed to let Arbas read your mind once a month or so until we agree that's unnecessary, but I won't - force that, if you'd rather not. I'd like you you to swear that you'll tell me if you plan to do something that probably affects your compulsions. And I'd appreciate a warning, at least, if you intend to travel within the Empire proper, I'm unlikely to object but I want to be able to track god-threats and warn you if I think it's a bad idea. Does all of that sound - like something you can work with -?" 

"Yes. We'll need it in writing, obviously, but - all of that seems very reasonable and compatible with my safety and my work."

"I want a day to think it over. Altarrin can bring you everything in writing – Altarrin, you're coming back with me now, right?" 

Sigh. "Yes." Now doesn't seem like the time to push any harder on the question of how soon they can start planning to make him replaceable. 

"Thank you, your majesty."

And they'll head out. 

Rosha goes with them. No one exactly needs Healing here, after all. 

Arbas stays. He's friendly at supper, but mostly gives Carissa space; it's pretty clearly this is deliberate, and also somewhat reluctant, presumably on Altarrin or Bastran's orders. 

Carissa is not an idiot and if Bastran is alive and still potentially sexually interested in her(...him) he is not going to flirt with people in the Emperor's employ.

She's got lots of crafting projects. She'll work on those.

And Altarrin comes back the next day with everything they discussed specified clearly in writing and signed by Bastran, and Imperial permission from Bastran to change her compulsions. 

He's clearly trying pretty hard not to radiate misery, and even mostly succeeding. 

"What's wrong?" she asks, once she's read the agreement closely and determined it's not "Bastran changed the terms."

He glances at her, surprised, then shrugs. Sighs. "I did not want to - make this your problem, right now - just, last night I reminded Bastran that he had told me he needed six months, and two have already passed, and could we maybe start to plan an exit strategy. I offered to train the temporary replacement Archmage-General he assigned when they believed I was dead. He said he wanted me to commit to stay for at least five years. I...did not formally agree to that and I am not sure where that conversation goes from here." 

"'m not sure if giving him a fancy Wisdom headband will help or not. I guess it depends why he's like this. 

Have you pointed out that you could have just left, if you hadn't - not wanted to do that to him and to the Empire - and we'd be happily away on an unfindable rock somewhere -"

"I did say that we considered just leaving once you had dispelled my compulsions and I panic-Gated us out!" Altarrin puts his head down in his hands. "I think he...does not really believe me, he looks up to me and he has the trait where he assumes the best of anyone he admires and he considers 'loyalty to the Empire' an admirable trait and so how could I possibly not be loyal... I did not say it made any sense, just, that is my best guess at the underlying emotional process here." 

Another long sigh. "I am not sure if Wisdom would help but I am very sure he would find it unpleasant. I think - ultimately he is unhappy as Emperor, and I find it hard to blame him, it is stressful job even for someone who wants power, which he never, ever has. And of course that is much of why I pushed his candidacy at all, because men who want power are often the ones who will not wield it for Good. He...blames me, a little, I think, and probably on some levels feels that if he has to stay then I should have to stay with him, and - I am not even sure that is entirely unfair of him."

Altarrin stares into the distance. "Honestly, I wish I could get him out as well. I am tired of - collecting everyone I think most highly of and feeding them to the machinery of the Empire, if I were making the decision again today I am not sure I would judge it worth it. But I am not going to convince him unless I have a replacement candidate who would do just as well as him or better – which I do not – and perhaps not even then, he takes his loyalties and his oaths very seriously."