"I find that loyalty or disloyalty is not a black and white matter," Laurent said, by way of response. He turned his head, brushing his nose lightly against the line of Damen's jaw. "People are driven by an array of loyalties, and those loyalties often come into conflict with each other. Perhaps you have an advisor who has been loyal to you for years. And yet, this advisor has a son who has become involved with a dangerous, violent faction. Anarchists or cultists. And, imagine, your loyal advisor has to choose between having his wayward son arrested and imprisoned or even killed, or protecting him and trying to decrease the damage of his crimes. It isn't the advisor's loyalty that's the problem, you see?"

Contented with cuddling and talking as Laurent taught what he knew and tried to open Damen's eyes to a court full of more nuanced loyalties, Laurent brought Damen's hand to his lips, gently kissing the knuckles. "Imagine a noble whose mother is Vaskian, and that mother has been embittered for years with the opinion that your policies do not adequately favor Vaskian interests. When that noble, then, sees Vaskian scouts too far inland on Akielon territory, will he report them?"

Laurent shifted in Damen's arms so that he could watch Damen's face, and hooked his long legs over Damen's thighs. "It's not just about Kastor, though banishment, especially such recent banishment, means that Kastor is still a very real threat to us. Any unhappiness that your people have, any disenfranchisement of any group, will leave a weakness for Kastor to exploit. If we increase the legal protections over slaves, then the slave owners and slave traders will chafe against it, and all Kastor will have to do is promise them that if he were the king, he would bring them prosperity. It wouldn't matter if he was lying. What you need isn't the skill or assistance to simply find out traitors. You need assistance in finding out the varying motivations of those in power, and shifting those motivations so that they benefit you."