18: HIGHPRINCE OF WAR

In this dual-perspective chapter, both Prince-Commander and King deal with the aftermath of the assassination attempt on the king's life and navigate the political complexities of the warcamp. The chapter opens with a romantic walk subplot before exploring deeper questions of war strategy, the king's mental state, and the growing tension between maintaining the war effort and the kingdom's stability at home. A highstorm arrives unexpectedly as the chapter concludes.

The chapter interweaves two storylines. In the first, Prince-Captain sees leatherworkers who confirm that King's girth was intentionally cut, not accidentally damaged. However, after being distracted by his courtship of Lady, who grows impatient with his investigation rather than romantic attention, he visits the temple to speak privately with the ardent. There, he shares his concerns about his father's visions during highstorms, fearing his father may be losing his mind. The ardent diplomatically suggests the visions may be products of war trauma rather than divine communication, warning against mysticism while maintaining his loyalty to.

Meanwhile, shows continued commitment to the kingdom's unity by deploying soldiers to patrol against banditry and working to understand the political dynamics at play. He advocates strongly to that the war has continued too long and that the kingdom's internal stability is suffering from the focus on revenge against the. When the king resists abandoning the war, proposes instead the ancient position of "First of the Ten": a unified command structure. Though hesitates due to political opposition, he agrees to let prove the other highprinces are willing to work together. As evening falls, an unexpected highstorm approaches, forcing both and his son to seek shelter in a barrack with soldiers, where is vulnerable to being observed during his mysterious storm-related episodes.