Caine-AoS
King Random,
You call upon your kin to swear on bended knee and put it in writing. Smart? No. Clever? Yes.
A man who will lie will lie under oath. I can see by your demand for Articles of Submission you do not care if you are lied to your face.
However, having it in writing? Thats clever. It will hold up in court. It might even hold up magically.
You put me in a tricky position, brother. Lies are my trade and craft. My bread and butter. I have spent the better part of a thousand years in Amber, and 5 thousand in shadow, establishing contacts and relationships, mostly for my own protection. But also at Oberon's behest.
So if it must be made plain, ill tell you, as much as I love the sea, it was always my cover.
I was Oberon's Spy-master.
This comes as no surprise to many around you but putting it in writing for what i assume will be public reading is.
Oberon had me taught in schools ill never tell you about. In techniques you never need to know about.
Ive done things you never need to know about. He depended on my expertise as one tiny part of the sources that fed him information. Mine was surface knowledge. Royal squabbles in Begma. Dynastic turnovers in Thulusia. Migrations in Calrobon. Who the new Blues where in Dreana. Who the King of Tosa was at war with. Which Shade Realms of Amber prospered or faltered.
And which of my siblings had reproduced.
I should say something of the Cabal that put Eric on the throne. Its fitting. Alright. It happened. He died. War came.
We could rehash the Patternfall War and what led up to it for years. Hell, we probably will.
As i write this i sit in the Library of Amber. Arloxedra is sleeping on top of a bookcase, smoke flitting around him. Hard to believe Eric thought to make him his heir. Flora just left me, having shown me her Article of Submission.
She makes a good point. Clean Slate.
We swore at the edge of the abyss. I knelt with Benedict on my left, Bleys on my right, with my kin.
I trusted Oberon, fool that i was. I trust the Unicorn, faithful i am. and now, my slate clean, i trust you.
So if i must, here do I,
Prince Caine of Amber, the legitimate son of King Oberon and Queen Rilga, swear fealty and service to the Crown and kingdom of Amber.
To its King, anointed by the Unicorn's Horn, Random the First.
So mote it be.
One last thing. Julian just left the Library and he mentioned something i had long stored away. To echo him, one day you and I will speak of a personal matter. It may be centuries, but the day will come.
