Mother,
I am sorry for the time since my last letter. Things have been insane here. I’ve hardly had a chance to write letters about business here, let alone ones to you. Tonight was the first time that I’ve had to sit down and write without dealing with everything else. Brynieve’s birthday is almost here, we celebrated it early. I gathered together a small feast from the Farin Quarter for us and gave her her gift. She loved the spectacles. I noticed her squinting sometimes after a long time reading and I thought I would see if they helped. She’s already in love with them. I think she’s going to be wearing them with every outfit. I hope she likes the Yule gift I have planned. She’s done so much for me and been there for me. I want to provide her with the best of everything. She deserves the best.
The children are wonderful. It’s hard to believe that Brandon is already a year old. He’s just growing so big. He’s trundling around, unsteady at the moment still and needs help, but he’s getting around and is so active. The girls are entering that phase where one likes to get the other in trouble in this or that. Lyss is really taking up painting and is interested in taking up the harp. I think she will be a lovely little artist, though she hasn’t shied away from the few discussions of sword work either. She’ll need that when she takes on Cort. Jess is a bit more rambunctious of the two, more of a tomboy than the perfect little lady. I think that is because I had her alone for such a time. Bryn is a good influence on her though. She’s learning about being a working noblewoman. She asked for pantaloons the other day rather than skirts.
How are things at home? Is the new harvest doing well? How are our people handling this year given the extra we had to take last winter due to the poor yields. Please open our personal larders if things get too tight there. I want to make it up to them this year for the help they provided us last year. I know I cannot always be there, because of the Regency, but I want the people to know I do care and wish to help them. I’m going to work with one of the newer traders here on distributing some of the Vees cider and brandy. Shaylei le Orban has done a fabulous job with the Vees Mead.
Things here have been out of hand so much. Ariel was in a bad way for such a long time, so much going on with him and I felt hopeless and unable to help him. I don’t support all of his actions, I support him always, but some of his choices I worry for. It had caused some stress, but I think that things have calmed down ab it now. He’s provided me with some good advice in this period of crisis. The trip he took to Farin seemed to help. Sameer was able to talk to him and Sameer is such a good man. I miss having him here as Cardinal, or even as Grand Inquisitor.
I don’t know what to do sometimes. I feel like so many out there, they want me to guide them and lead them by the hands and when I don’t, they get upset and snap at me for getting things done. Things that by all rights they all should have done already. Everyone is so out for their own self interest that they take everything that happens personally rather than thinking of the great situation and kingdom as a whole.
We’ve got a guild leader who sits back and doesn’t do much unless it concerns themselves. We’ve got another who seems to be clueless about what is going on in their own organizations. We’ve got warrants being delivered to those who are to enforce them in the middle of crowds where loose lipped people will surely spread the information to the targets. If this were a military I would have drawn up formal reprimands. It’s as if security is a second thought to playing politics here.
I’ve addressed some of the issues, but there is more that needs to be done. I need to be better about the political side of things, but it just irritates me when people are so concerned about personal ego above getting in there and offering their help or taking action themselves. They get bound up in complaining, but never doing. Or doing without thinking. There are times I think that I want to retire soon, open up the training school and just get away from the mess. I just don’t think now is the time. I want to stay with this until her Majesty is of age at the very least.
If it weren’t for Bryn and the children, for Ariel, for Marisa even, I’d probably go insane. It’s not all bad though. We finally got the privy council up and running, held a meeting. It felt so gratifying to get us all together and discuss and plan and share ideas. It was a long meeting, but it felt so productive and heartened me. It is what Ariel and I discussed so long ago when we made plans for the Privy Council and wanted to see it flourish. Those dreams came to life.
I am also, after this, going to meet with Ofelia von Hartsong about the Charali Plains plans that I discussed with you. She’s got enough information established that we may be able to finalize the details and move on from here. I’ve got a Father Casimo willing to help with delivering a mass on the subject. We are nearing the rollout of that. And if this can succeed, it would be a great accomplishment. For me and for the kingdom. I pray that all goes well with it. I’ve got high hopes.
I guess it isn’t all doom and gloom, looking back on what I’ve written. It just feels that way sometimes, when I am in the heat of dealing with the politics. There is hope out there and I will latch onto it, we all need to I think. I think Bryn and I will come down with the kids sometime soon, even if it is just for a month. We’ll visit and see you all.
With Love,
Your son Tomas