by Dom
When he was six, Niske D'Artois had a tiny wooden model of a castle by the sea. Servants had carved him wooden soldiers, which he had arranged in a brilliant formation around the walls of the castle, and experienced officers of the Broken Guard had commented how good an arrangement it was.
Niske went running to show his father.
“Look Daddy, look what I've done!”
Lemuel D'Artois followed his son down the hallway, and sat by the castle for a few minutes, studying it carefully. Then he took his son companionably by the arm and brought him to the great arched window of the room.
“Do you see that son?” he asked, pointing at the Port of Glass beyond - and the ranks of Broken Guard lined up along the walls, moving like ants, weaving and blending and separating in a constant, delicate dance.
“Yes, father.”
“Good.” Lemuel replied. And threw him from the window.
On landing, Niske broke both legs and three ribs; and spent the following two months being ministered to by healers.
The moral of the story?
You can have all the plans you want. Lemuel D'Artois has the window.