At heart, he’s an autocrat. But he worked damned hard in the early days to set up… this,” Herzer said, waving at the crowd, “because he believes that a republican form of government isn’t the best form of government, just the best ever discovered. Now he has to live with it. It was a choice he knew was right but he also knew that this would grow from it. If Daneh was here she’d sweet talk him into the crowd and before you knew it he’d be holding court. But… she’s not and I’m not about to try it.”

“It’s a sad fact that I like politicking,” Galbreath admitted. “And I wouldn’t trust a field army in my hands for worlds.”

“That’s why you’re here, sir, and Duke Edmund…” Herzer trailed off and shrugged. “Far better than the other way around, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely,” the general replied as a commons member approached. “Commons Member Srichure, have you met Major Herrick…?”

Herzer had exchanged two more brief words with Megan before she left and now hovered at the edge of the crowd, clutching a drink that was far stronger than he liked. He had been as charming and as debonair as he knew how to be. He had briefly held court with some of the minor military lights present, had danced with a duchess and a string of young ladies ranging from homely to quite attractive. He had fulfilled his end of the bargain and was more than ready to get the hell out.

He’d also found, much to his disgust, that he enjoyed himself. With few exceptions, as powerful as they were, the people at this event were not accurate judges of his military worth. But he found himself occasionally whispering the words he had said to Megan as they crowded around him, hanging on his every word. He had probably listened more than he spoke, but nobles and commons members fell silent when he opened his mouth. And the women had come to him to fill their dance cards, leaning into his shadow and working him, frankly, much like Megan had been working the unaccompanied politicians.