How boring, thought the Emperor of Romelia, the Protector and Guardian of the West, as he sat slouched in his chair, one leg swung lazily over the other. His gaze drifted aimlessly around the study, bouncing from the tapestry on the far wall to the flickering candle beside him, anywhere but on his tutor, Frovius, who droned on with undisturbed enthusiasm. The old man's voice was a relentless hum, a monotone river of words that Mesha had long since tuned out.
"Now, contrary to popular belief," Frovius continued, squinting over the tops of his spectacles, "during the Red Plague, the ruling House of Estius was not, in fact, completely extinguished in the male line. It seems some of their male relatives had taken up the church as their calling, and due to their noble blood, they were allowed an exemption from the standard penance requirements of the time. Meaning they were still eligible to have kids and so they cou—"
