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understand this right, Impasse is not a threat to us militarily because of its size. If anything, it guards our flank against attack from the pass. Right?”
    “Correct.”
    “Which it is already doing.”
    “Also correct.”
    Seeing an opening, I hurried on.
    “We can’t attack them, but from what you say they don’t have anything we want. So why are we bothering with this marriage/alliance?”
    The General looked pointedly at Grimble.
    “Because even though Impasse is people-few and crop-light, they are sitting on the largest deposit of precious metal on the continent,” The Chancellor of the Exchequer supplied.
    “Precious met ... oh! You mean gold.”
    “Precisely. With the alliance, Possiltum will become the richest kingdom ever.”
    “That hardly seems like sufficient reason to get married,” I mumbled.
    “Your Majesty’s opinions on the subject are well known to us,” Grimble nodded. “You have expressed them often and long every time the possibility of this marriage was broached. I am only glad that you finally gave your consent when the citizens of Possiltum threatened to revolt if you didn’t accept the betrothal offer.”
    “That was only after you spread the word that such an alliance would significantly lower taxes, Grimble, Badaxe scowled.
    “I said it might lower taxes,” the Chancellor corrected innocently. “Can I help it if the common folk jumped to conclusions?”
    Now that I had a clearer picture of the situation, I might have mustered a bit of sympathy for the King’s predicament, if he hadn’t stuck me in it in his stead.
    “Enough about Impasse. Now give me your opinions of my bride-to-be.”
    There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence.
    “Impasse doesn’t have a monarchy,” Grimble said carefully. “That is, until recently. It was more a tribal state, where the strongest ruled. When the last king died, however, his daughter Hemlock somehow managed to take over and maintain the throne, thereby establishing a royal line of sorts. Exactly how she did it is unclear.”
    “Some say that prior to the king’s death she managed to gain the ... loyalty of all the able-bodied fighters in the kingdom, thereby securing her claim from challenge,” Badaxe supplied.
    I held up a restraining hand.
    “Gentlemen, what you’re telling me are facts. I asked for your opinions.”
    This time, there was a long uncomfortable silence.
    “That good, eh?” I grimaced.
    “Your Majesty must remember,” Grimble protested, “we are being asked to express our hidden feelings about a woman who will soon be our Queen.”
    “Not until the marriage,” I growled. “Right now, I am your king. Get my drift?”
    They got it, and swallowed hard.
    “The words ‘cold-blooded’ and ‘ruthless’ come to mind,” the general said, “and that’s the impression of a man who’s made a career of the carnage of war.”
    “I’m sure the rumors that she murdered her father to gain control of the kingdom are exaggerated,” Grimble argued weakly.
    “But Your Majesty would be well advised to insist on separate sleeping quarters, and even then sleep lightly ... and armed,” the general concluded firmly.
    “No difficulty should be encountered with separate quarters,” Grimble leered. “It’s said Queen Hemlock has the morals of an alley cat.”
    “Terrific,” I sighed.
    The Chancellor favored me with a paternal smile.
    “Oh, there’s no doubt that the entire kingdom, myself included, admires Your Majesty for the sacrifices he is willing to make for his people.”
    The trouble was, only I knew who the King was willing to sacrifice!
    I studied Grimble’s smile through hooded eyes, seeking desperately through my mind for something to disrupt his smug enjoyment of the situation. Suddenly, I found it.
    “I’ve been meaning to ask, does anyone know the current whereabouts of our Court Magician?”
    Grimble’s smile disappeared like water on a hot skillet. “He’s ... gone, Your