Role

Chapter 3

What a mess.

Athald's relationship with his father is strained, but he does love the
old man, and it pains him to see Alfgeir this way. His father is
simultaneously wounded to his core and livid at the demands his son has
issued on behalf of the Emperor. It is the Jarl can't decide whether to
weep or scream out loud.

That's what Athald thinks to himself while tuning out the actual content
of the meeting his father has called and to which he is supposedly a
party. The older men blather on about how best to handle the situation,
but Athald can't focus; his mind is elsewhere. He trusts that Alfgeir
will resolve the situation. After all, he always does.

If not, then the Imperial Lands are leagues and leagues away. What can
the Empire possibly do to them here?

His thoughts turn instead to the diplomatic mission he has agreed to take
to visit one of his father's Karls. He enjoys these trips, which Alfgeir
assures him are necessary to maintain the Karl's allegiance, because they
chiefly consist of drinking copious amounts of mead and carousing with the
women of the Karl's court.

Athald manages to wrench his mind away from that pleasant thought just in
time to hear the conclusion of his father's council. He will embark on
the diplomatic mission as planned, while Alfgeir and his advisors treat
with Hathuld. The old Jarl's advisors assure him that some agreement can
be reached which is mutually acceptable, but that does not include
him swearing fealty to the Emperor.

And so he sets off, irritated that his brother should so perturb their
father, but confident that the situation will be fully resolved before he
returns home.