Pausing momentarily, he made a summary.
"They have retreated."
"Retreated?"
Theoden savored the intriguing word, with a touch of mockery playing at the corner of his mouth.
He did not think so.
Earl Derek's life or death was of no concern to him; merely one of the pieces on his vast chessboard.
The reason he stirred the Campbell Duchy's situation was simply to create sufficient chaos, leaving the young Duke unable to attend to the easily obtainable Twilight Province... that was the direct territory of the Devalu family.
Yet, truth be told, Edward's choice still brought a slight surprise to him.
He put down his teacup and paced to the bookshelf, murmuring thoughtfully.
"Restraint is much harder than indulgence, it seems our Duke is no ordinary man."
The servant's face showed a hint of confusion, clearly not grasping the deeper meaning.
Theoden glanced at the intelligence-gathering instrument at his knee, and unusually felt inclined to say more.
