"Leverage?" Oisin shifts in his seat. The regent and general remain silent and turn to Oisin, allowing him to explore his own theory. “Ulaidh has effectively started a war they can"t win, right?” Blake and the regent nod. “If they can"t take ‘em all on, holding powerful hostages— they have us all by the short and curlies; no one will risk the life of the Mide King. These days no one will just abandon a hostage.”
short and curlies“You’d be surprised,” replies Blake, but shows a willingness to explore Oisin’s theory.
Oisin feeling this continues, “Any intervention by another kingdom would pose a threat to the king’s life… and who"s to say the Ulaidh stopped at one kingdom.”
The smiles fade off Blake and the regent"s faces as Oisin drops his hypothesis.
“Exactly,” Aodhan replies. “We can
