Miren stood silent for a long time. Then she rolled up her sleeves and picked up a trowel.
“You think kindness wins?” she laughed. “I’ll crush your third table.”
Within a week, the court was a nest of accusations, counter-accusations, and three duels fought in the rose garden. The city’s real work—trade, justice, repair of the aqueducts—ground to a halt. Kings Fall Bastard Games
And Kael? He returned to his archives. But he added a new shelf: “On the Overthrow of Bastard Games – A Practical Guide.”
Lord Vennix, the spymaster, immediately began forging letters that implied the late King’s heir had plotted treason. General Thalia, who had always despised the backroom scheming, found her supply lines cut—someone wanted her army hungry and angry at her . The Keeper of the Coin, a quiet woman named Sera, discovered her ledgers had been altered to show massive embezzlement. Miren stood silent for a long time
He did not rally them to seize power. He rallied them to .
In the high-walled city of Veridias, the Sunstone King had ruled for forty years. He was a master of the "Bastard Game"—pitting advisors, generals, and even family members against one another to secure his own power. Every promotion came with a secret knife; every compliment hid a test of loyalty. “I’ll crush your third table
He pointed to the aqueduct workers. “See that mason? He doesn’t care who sits on the throne. He cares that the water flows. If you help him fix the pipes, he will remember that. That is loyalty that outlasts any scheme.”
And so began the King’s Fall Bastard Games.
No great battle was fought. No dramatic poisonings occurred. Instead, the city held an open council where anyone could speak. They voted not on a new king, but on a set of shared rules: transparent ledgers, open courts, a rotating leadership for public works.
Kael nodded. “You probably could. But here’s the Bastard’s Dilemma you haven’t seen: If you win the throne by playing the Game, you inherit a court full of people who know only how to play the Game. They will turn on you the moment you stumble. ”