Will and company have returned to The Realm, only things are quick what they had in mind. Let’s unpack.

What are they doing here?

The last we saw, the Governors had abandoned their responsibilities in order to hide from the doom they feared was coming. By the time Will recovered from the bombing in The Empty Throne the civilian government had all but disintegrated. Isme and the army filled power vacuum in the capital, helped by local officials, but his real authority didn’t extend beyond The Empty Throne and Boarsblemish.

For the surviving Governors to show up now, when all the danger was over is rather low class. But then, the politicians in The Realm were not the best of beings.

Armed Forces not required

The remnants of the civilian government are terrified of Isme. A conquering hero can be prone delusions of grandeur, and the general population was ready for the issue of the Throne to be settled. It seemed to them to be a toxic mix.

Still, the reason why the throne has been empty for so long is the population also doesn’t want anyone who wants to sit on the throne to be given the seat. The surviving Governors set up this welcoming party in an effort to get Isme to reveal his ambitions, thus turning the general populace against him.

Isme’s laughter kind of foiled their plans.

The general has no desire to be a politician, even as a dictator. Before the war he lived in semi-retirement, earning a small income as a rare leaf collector. He wants to get back to his collection as soon as he can manage.

Mr. Purple

I have no name for this Governor. Will has never bothered to learn it because “Mr. Purple” fits him so well.

That’s your cue

If you haven’t figured it out. Selecting someone to sit on the throne is the “next” for which Will has been waiting. I wonder who he’s going to choose?