The Power and the Glory

Book 2 Chapter XX: Prince of Tananerl

Warning: contains violence, minor character death, and implied off-screen sex.

The past, like fire, assumes mutable shapes. One makes do with available light. -- Eric Pankey, Available Light

When he was still alive Ilaran had sometimes wondered why Abihira was -- to put it bluntly -- such a stubborn and reckless idiot. He had his answer now. The only good thing to come out of his unwanted access to all of her memories was that he could see exactly why she had decided necromancy was a good idea.

Unsurprisingly it was not a convincing reason. Indeed it wasn't truly a reason at all. It was simply the product of the Seroyawan royal court's well-meaning but misguided method of raising her.

Fostering children back and forth was a custom the Saoridhin and Seroyawan royal families had invented over a hundred thousand years ago. Part of it was inspired by a Saoridhin princess who married a Seroyawan prince. She missed the land where she grew up while also wanting her family to see her new home. Her wish fit in nicely with the current political situation which had led to her marriage: the two empires wanted to strengthen their alliance while making it almost impossible for either to betray the other. So the idea of sending a Seroyawan child to be fostered in Saoridhlém and vice versa was born.

It was a good idea. It was an even better one when the foster parents didn't indulge the child's every whim. And that was the problem.

When Abihira arrived in Seroyawa, tensions were building between it and Hyon-eun -- yet again. Diplomatic relationships between those two empires were never cordial. They varied only from "coldly indifferent" to "war is imminent". Seroyawa responded to the threat -- which they had caused by their high-handed encroachment on Hyon-eun's territory; Ilaran had been alive at the time, remembered all about it, and had no sympathy at all for Seroyawa -- by doing everything they could to keep Saoridhlém's support. One of the ways they did this was by giving Abihira her own way in everything and never saying a word about her behaviour.

From one perspective he could see why they would think it was a good idea. Abihira would have nothing to complain about, not even a well-earned reprimand. If her grandmother asked how she was being treated she would have nothing but praise for how indulgent her foster parents were. From every other perspective he couldn't believe they'd been so stupid. How could anyone think it was wise to cater to a child's every whim, no matter how ridiculous?

The results were exactly what anyone would expect. Abihira grew up expecting to get her own way in everything and to be allowed to do whatever she wanted with very few consequences. It was a miracle she wasn't utterly unbearable and as relatively sane as she was.

Well, it wasn't really a miracle. It was mostly thanks to Princess Kiriyuki and Prince Mirio. Judging by Abihira's memories they had been the only people in the royal court who consistently said "no" to her. Like all good older sisters Kiriyuki took it upon herself to annoy Abihira into being a better person. Mirio tried to teach Abihira protocol, selflessness, and self-discipline. His efforts were mostly futile, but at least he tried.

Ilaran rubbed his forehead in an attempt to stave off his impending headache. Being dead should have spared him a headache. Unfortunately Abihira's memories were enough to give him one.

"What is it now?" Death asked.

"I wish I could go back in time just to tell the emperor of Seroyawa what I think of his parenting methods."

Surprisingly Death accepted that without question. "I captured two more of your pawns when you were distracted."

When she had only been in Seroyawa a short time, Abihira had thrown a tantrum when Prince Mirio beat her at kinin[1]. She shoved the board off the table and burst into tears. (In fairness to her, she had apologised for that behaviour when she was older and somewhat wiser.)