 The Belharzareta IV |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Added by | Tamriel Data | ||
| ID | T_Bk_BelharzaretaPC_V4 | ||
| Up | The Belharzareta | ||
| Prev. | Book III | Next | Book V |
 |
200 |  |
2 |
| Locations | |||
Found in the following locations:
|
|||
During the first months of the Man-Bull s reign, there was peace and happiness throughout his empire. But as time went by, the people grew uneasy, and began to stir and mutter amongst themselves. They said to each other, King Belharza is a fine warrior, but this arrangement of his is unnatural. The gods in their wisdom did not see fit to shape man for rule; see how he grows restless at peace, and even now stands atop his palace each morning rattling his spear in the direction of Alinor. We cannot allow this man to undo the good works of blessed Al-Esh: Belharza must be wed! And they went to the King with their worries, but Belharza just laughed and said to them, Put your minds at rest, my friends. I have already joined myself in marriage to a wife, and she is the Empire of Cyrodiil. And he would hear no more from them, for he knew that to marry would be to forfeit his hold on the Amulet of Kings and the Ruby Throne.
His vassals were not so easily dissuaded, though. Throughout his reign, Belharza endured pressure from all quarters to find a wife and restore the natural order of things. The wise women of the jungle tribes would visit on occasion with grim portents, warning of doom for himself and his kingdom. The warlords of the west told him that honor could only be found on the battlefield there was no glory to be won sitting on a throne. His minotaurs remained silent, for their loyalty was to the Man-Bull alone and they cared little for the bleating of the no-horns of his court.
Though he would occasionally attempt to placate his counselors by feasting the daughters of jarls and silklords, sending them home with gold and land and titles, Belharza s energies were largely spent on the administration of his kingdom. Bringing the new Colovian city-states into his empire, both through diplomacy, which the Westerners spat at, and warfare, which they could respect and honor. Treating with his Ayleid vassals, and relieving the tensions of their new lives side by side with former slaves. Most importantly, fending off the carrion birds already flocking at his borders. He knew, though his subjects may not, that the position of Cyrodiil in the Starry-Heart was a precarious one, with the elves of the west crying for blood at the diaspora of their heartland cousins, and the men of the north positioning themselves for conquest, should he prove an easy quarry. Many a night was spent locked in his bedchambers with the young battlemage Hathna, the king s closest friend and advisor, poring over maps and treaties. Oft would they both emerge from his quarters in the light of dawn, glistening with sweat and clothing disheveled from the passion of their arguments. The two men became inseparable and rumors soon abounded about the handsome, raven-haired tribesman of the Niben whom the king depended upon so. His people smiled at these rumors though, and said wonderingly to one another, Surely two kings must be equal to a queen. See how Cyrod has prospered these past years?