C4. Description of Adrilankha, noted as the town where Kieron met with the Shamans and made a stand. “…but Kieron won the battle anyway, thus securing the foundations of an Empire of Dragaerans. Shame about that.” Vlad determines to build a spy network, if he gets out of this. Vlad meets with Morrolan and corrects him on a point of witchcraft, gets money.
C5. A brief description of how Vlad met Morrolan and attacked him. Kiera gives Vlad a diamond to help keep him funded. (How did she find out? We know, now.) “I had occasion to visit Dzur Mountain recently.” The Jhereg is tired of the war; Vlad is taken by Toronnan to Terion and warned off. The Empire is putting pressure on the Jhereg.
C6. A description of the Empress. Vlad mentions that he’s descended Deathsgate Falls. Vlad’s office is destroyed; he decides to set up in Laris’s office. The Phoenix Guards leave the area. Vlad attacked by the Sword and Dagger. Vlad dead.
C7. Revivification. Devera calls Vlad “Uncle Vlad” and mentions Aliera as “mommy” and Morolan as “Uncle Rollan.” “Don’t mention to Mommy that you saw me, okay?” Vlad meets Cawti and, five minutes later, is in love.
C8. Aliera and Morrolan arguing about Norathar. Aliera mentions that Kragar was thrown out of the House of the Dragon. Sethra discusses how to join the Phoenix Guard. Athyra never serve, nor Phoenix. Empress’s lover is an Easterner; Morrolan claims never to have met him. Sethra the Younger wants to conquer the East. ‘”That isn’t the point,” said Aliera. “If we drain off enough resources, what happens if a real enemy shows up? The Easterners are no threat to us now–” “What real enemy?” said Sethra. “There isn’t–” I stood and left them to their argument. It couldn’t have anything to do with me, in any case.’ The plan to conquer the east, or the real enemy?
C9. Vlad attacked again. Establishing the plan to switch weapons. Vlad beaten up by the Phoenix Guard. Daymar did a mind probe on the guards, who were pulled from the Jhereg war due to a riot in the Easterner’s quarter. Suspicions of Laris being supported by someone who’s rich.
C10. A meal at Dzur mountain. Aliera: “Second, Daddy wasn’t really the heir. …There was a war, and he was killed. There was talk of his child not being a Dragon.” Heir is Norathar. First gene scan of Norathar done by Sethra the Younger. “She served her apprenticeship about twelve hundred years ago now. When I’d taught her all I could, she did me the honor of taking my name.” “Dragonlord?” “Of course.” … “If someone did a spell to make it look like she wasn’t a full Dragon, Baritt must have been in on it. The Lyorn could have been fooled.” Nobody ate anything.
More later…