Author's note: I just jotted this down quickly one afternoon. It was an answer to a Seanfhocal challenge on the Dancing Dove boards. The challenge was to portray a ruler in either of Tamora Pierce's universes as being cruel or exploitive in using their power. I chose Roald, Jonathon's eldest son when he becomes king. I don't think that Tammy would ever write Roald like this, but I suppose you never know.
He looked impassively at the knight in front of him.
"Roa-Your Majesty, I think you should reconsider," said the knight carefully, his eyes never leaving the King's cold blue ones.
"I have made my decision."
"Only because the conservatives forced you to-"
"Neal, enough!"
The knight fell silent as he looked at his king. Roald continued. "Her mistakes lead to the death of sixty men. Three of the dead were knights from powerful families."
"She was not the only squire to ever fall asleep on a watch. Two nights before, I passed by the river; Owen's squire was at his post, sound asleep! But besides that fact," here Neal paused, wondering if anything he said would change Roald's mind. "Besides that fact, the blame shouldn't rest solely on the back of a 14 year old girl; there were eight other sentries standing watch that night! Is there any blame being assigned to them?"
"I was told they have been disciplined by their commanders."
Neal snorted, "Yes, I heard of that discipline."
Sitting beside the King, the Queen, having remained silent in the exchange so far, raised her eyebrows at the lack of respect the knight showed his monarch.
Roald frowned. "I need the support from more of the nobles if we are to win this war. This incident hasn't helped."
"So that's why you're issuing this declaration; you need a scapegoat."
"Neal, you don't understand the situation."
"No, I think I do, quite clearly in fact. What about my daughter? What about Kel, have you even told your Knight Commander about this declaration? You're making a mistake- "
"This audience is over, Sir Nealan."
"Very well. Good day, Your Majesties." Neal bowed quickly and walked out of the room to where his wife and daughter were waiting.
The next day the declaration was delivered to the rooms of the Knight Commander of the King's Own. Keladry unrolled the piece of parchment and scanned the document. Neal had told her what to expect but it still shocked her. After reading it through twice, Keladry took the paper and tore it into tiny pieces. She left her rooms, and headed towards the training courts, her face Yamani smooth. She wanted to be the first to tell the girls of the King's decree. They would be the last of the lady knights.