A Marriage of Swords
Makil said, “is the Pact of the Peak. Carved not in parchment, but in the living memory of the border. It was sworn between Alistair the First and Torren Valerius. It does not grant land. It swears a bond. The crown provides legitimacy and protection. The Hold provides the mountain’s voice—the enforcement of the ancient boundaries and laws that keep peace among all the peoples of the eastern range, not just the subjects of the crown. Lord Valerius is not merely a vassal. He is the Crown’s Eye in the East. The Mountain’s Voice in the West. Your safety, my lords, has for generations depended on this man upholding this pact.”
The lords stared at the strange, painted stone. Gryffen scoffed. “A r