Chapter 41

• Six months passed with no word, good or bad, from Uri. We had gotten word that his meeting with the Swan was most successful. How that success manifested itself we did not know. Just that he was very well received, and King Targathian was most pleased. Angelica and I had little luck gathering a new alliance. Most wished to join Bear and Lion, meeting with Lion by itself was politically risky. There were also rumors of some discord with our alliance which made many wary. I suspect my 'harem' was also a consideration, though it was never mentioned openly. We wondered how Uri had managed negotiations with the Swan.
• I had been drilling the garrison hard. I feared I would have to make ready for life without an alliance. The new wealth of the kingdom allowed some increase in arms, but it would take time to train and build housing for men and horse. The math said I could increase by one third in size without detriment to the coffers. Angelica and I both saw it a worthy expense, so I began the growth that would take over a year to complete. An alliance may be easier to acquire if I could bring more horse to the negotiations. Power had a way of attracting power.