Perhaps it had been his ploy to make it appear that the Queen snubbed Lady Fennis by not responding to her letter. He had purloined it from Queen Desire’s desk, perhaps. A bastard himself and half-brother to King Shrewd, Chade had never hesitated in pursuing the best interests of the Farseer throne. I never asked Chade how he came by that letter.

I read it, confirming for myself that the Queen I had never formally met had, indeed, hated me from the moment she knew of me. I recall the first time I found that missive, unfinished and never sent. Missive from Queen Desire to Lady Fennis of Tilth I would leave court, save that Regal would then be without a defender here. Hulking, square-faced Verity, with all the grace of an ox. Instead he sets him aside only to install his doltish younger brother as King-in-Waiting. But does he now look at Chivalry and admit his mistake in naming him heir? No. When I gave up my own reign and titles to be Shrewd’s Queen, it was in the belief that any child I bore him would be seen as possessing far better lineage than the two reckless boys his former Queen gave him, and would reign after Shrewd.

While he may be younger than both his half-brothers, no one can dispute that his bloodlines are more noble, and his bearing as lordly as his name. When Chivalry had the decency to secede his claim in the face of this disgrace, I secretly rejoiced, believing that Regal would immediately be recognized as the next King.

Withywoods! A fine estate that any number of my friends would be pleased to occupy, and he rewards it to his son for fathering a bastard with a foreign commoner! Nor does King Shrewd find it distasteful that said bastard has been brought back here to Buckkeep Castle where any member of my court may see the little Mountain savage.Īnd the final insult to me and my son? He has decreed that Prince Verity will now take up the title of King-in-Waiting, and be the next presumed heir to the throne. Instead he has announced the child in an indiscreet message to my husband.Īnd so, in the face of this base disgrace, what does my lord do? Why, not only does he insist the bastard must be brought to Buckkeep Castle, he then bestows on Chivalry the title to Withywoods, and sends him out to pasture there with his graceless, barren wife. His bastard child, fathered on a Mountain whore, has been revealed.Īs shameful as that is, it could have been handled far more discreetly if his clever-as-a-stone brother Prince Verity had taken swift and decisive action to eliminate the disgrace.

My stepson, Prince Chivalry, has exposed himself as the crude fellow I have always known him to be. As you so delicately hinted, yes, there has been shattering news delivered to me. We have been friends far too long for me to be circumspect.

Fool's Assassin by Robin Hobb