"Thank you for your help, then. I plan to announce the crusade tonight, once we've cleared the city and the men can safely celebrate, but if you think you need more time to prepare yourself that's not an issue. If you think you would benefit from a headband of splendor, I shall see about getting you one; in the mean time, I can have eagle's splendor and heroism cast on you before the speech if you want it. You won't be required to give one of your own, but some words might not go astray and if your using Lariel's sword is half as impressive as described I expect it would go over very well to show it off."

"It doesn't always do the really impressive lightshow but it'll glow for me a little seemingly whenever I ask it to. I certainly won't turn down the spells and I might prepare some remarks, though I'd appreciate a pointer to someone local who can scan them for obvious foreign bumbling."

"If you have someone you trust to help you, that does often help, but you may also feel free to ask my staff for assistance. Nurah Dendiwhar has something of a particular gift with words, for instance."

If Kybele has been doing a breadth first search and has a good enough memory for author's names, she might recognize the name from a few of the books in the Blackwing library.

Were the books any good?

The allegedly biographical book seemed to have prioritized telling an interesting story over strict accuracy, but the prose was good and it didn't seem strongly biased in favor of advertising the author's or subject's virtue, just in being entertaining to read. The later publications have more of the same issues, but to a lesser extent, and she seems to have been getting better at writing over time.

"I've seen a few of her books - maybe a little more narrativized than is ideal. I can perhaps run my remarks by a few people and would be pleased to be introduced."

"Then I wish you good skill and good fortune, and may the inheritor's blessing go with you."

When she leaves, Daeran is still visibly lurking nearby, but he doesn't rush to approach Kybele if she doesn't initiate it.

"So she's your cousin?" Ky asks, drifting in his direction.

“Rather regrettably, yes, on both of our parts. We’ve never gotten along.”

"Huh, any particular points of friction or do you just not click?"

"Oh, just the usual. She thinks I'm a wastrel who fails to live up to my heritage and is unfit to rule a city, much less inherit, and would happily be rid of me if it was remotely possible. I hate her because she's the embodiment of everything that I dislike about Iomedeans, that they'll demand you sacrifice everything about life worth living to them or else say you want the demons to win, and then not even have the decency to deliver results; I half suspect she'd ban the very concept of joy if it meant killing another hundred demons. And of course the likes of Hulrun are her people, and I can't imagine his flaws have escaped you. Sometimes I wonder if the only reason she sticks around is so I don't inherit, though if so I owe her some thanks since I'd be abominable at the job and hate every minute of it."

"Long live the queen," snorts Ky. "You're next in line? How long has this been the case?"

"That's the spirit. I've been the heir ever since my parents died, though I was obviously pretty high up the line of succession even then. Pretty much the entire family is dead at this point; we have a third cousin, but from the wrong side of the family to inherit, and the status of next best claimant is disputed amongst half a dozen noble houses with the closest lines of descent starting 6 generations back."

"Shouldn't she be... trying to adopt somebody?"

"Adopted children can't inherit titles in Mendev, same as spouses, and there's no way she could get that changed when everyone she'd need to convince is convinced the job is theirs for the taking as soon as she kicks the bucket. My cousin is only half the reason I can't stand doing politics in Nerosyan, frankly, it's a nest of vipers."

He grinds wryly, then becomes a bit more serious.

"What did she try to pressure you into? If you feel you need to flee the country, I know some people, and I could hardly piss her off more than I already have."

"Oh, she wants me to be knight-commander of a Fifth Crusade. A bit sad to leave the library I've just started getting to know but I reckon I may take to it."

"Well it certainly could be worse. I can't say I'd recommend the position, but admittedly there isn't anyone else I'd rather have it. Whatever you do, though, I suggest you keep a close eye on any bureaucrats or advisors from the capital you end up taking on; I'd offer to help with screening, but everything I know about Nerosyan politics is hopelessly out of date by now."

"Huh, what's the trouble with them?"

"Half of them will be looking for any chance to line their own pockets at the expense of the crusade, and the other half will take the opportunity if it looks good enough. Most of them will be involved in some opaque court politics where they look to use you as a tool to the advantage of their own faction at the expense of others, but of course if you do without them good luck getting any aid from Nerosyan then that the queen doesn't shake free personally. Oh, and presumably some of them will be demon cultists and good at faking it, though I suppose it's technically possible that whatever inquisitor they have running things there has smoked most of them out."

"Why are there so many demon cultists?"

"I haven't the slightest clue; I can't say I've ever seen the appeal myself, and I have significantly more of a bone to pick with Iomedae than average person."

"Well, I suppose if they're going to be an ongoing problem and not just a crisis situation issue I will need some reliable way to screen for that."

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck, and must say this: better you than me!"

"I will not dispute this. Do you have... any idea what running a crusade is going to... entail... or should I run back to the library that is ever so briefly mine and read up on it real fast."