[Dragaera] The Chaos Stone

[Scott Crain]

Vlad: "So, Morrolan.  Does the Empress know you study this stuff?" (Meaning Elder Sorcery)
Morrolan: "I believe I have failed to mention it to her."

Also: 

Vlad: "So ... you collect Morganti blades?  Does the Empire know?"
Morrolan: "They know, but don't do anything about it.  It is something they can use to hassle me if they ever have a need."

I'll grant you that both of these are very loosely paraphrased, but it's approximately the same point -- that yes, the Empire knows, but the Duke of Southmoor (like, no doubt, the Duke of Eastmanswatch, Adron e'Kieron) is a powerful and influential person and though they COULD up and toss him in jail because he's studying/collecting the damn stuff, they DON'T -- unless he's going to act up, or is acting up, and they need an excuse.

Did the Empire know that Aliera was studying the Elder Sorcery?  Does a dzur crap in the woods?  Is the Empress a Dragaeran?  Of course.  The Consort Noima would have many ways of acquiring this information, but remember -- she has the indirect power of influence, not the direct power of rank/title/position.  She, I think, played the very good odds (9:2, I'd say) that Aliera would, out of simple habit, have a chaos stone amongst her possessions.

Besides, it was fate.  Or the Cycle.  It's hard to tell the difference...




S. Thomas Crain
Author-in-Training
       
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