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Higher25 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2020, 23:18 King Wilhelm from my point of view was doing whatever was within his power to keep the country peaceful and progressive. However, it was those whom he has ordained to cater for certain positions that led to his downfall. Meldorath was a problem of a different calibre. Maido was selfish and most of the others just enjoyed th3 positions without working.

I agree that some of Wilhelm's colleagues and subordinates might not have been the best people, but that wasn't entirely in Wilhelm's control. Maido was appointed by the council or perhaps inherited his position from his father. Wilhelm did appoint some excellent people to high positions as well, such as Eldus. As for Meldorath, I think he was originally a good choice for his position, but I suspect he was corrupted shortly before his retirement.

Zinda Lukman wrote: ↑07 Oct 2020, 23:39 King Wilhelm is a good king, and wishes good for his people. This is why he imprisons Meldoreth because he is a big threat to his people. I think he is right to imprison him.

I agree that Wilhelm was right to imprison Meldorath since Meldorath was torturing some of the people of Hillport. I do think Wilhelm was wrong, however, when he did not give Meldorath a trial and kept his existence a secret.

Aisha_123 wrote: ↑08 Oct 2020, 03:55

luchi123 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2020, 09:01 King Wilhelm seemed like a good king to me too. He only had some bad people around him which he tried to discipline, like Meldorath. I do not know if he had a hidden agenda for Voulhire. However, even if he did, I can be sure that Meldorath would spoil his plans out of vengeance or selfish motives

I don't believe it would be Meldorath that will spoil his plans but someone much more closer to him.

I agree. It seems like Maido is trying to convince Darius to rebel against Wilhelm or perhaps Wilhelm's choice of a successor. After the disaster at Hillport, Wilhelm's reign might be coming to a swift end.

King Wilhelm seems like a good king, I probably see a play of diplomacy in imprisoning Meldorath without a trial as a result of their relationship.

To me, King Wilhelm appears to want the best for his people but oftentimes is too passive, giving in to the advice of others too easily. I don't really think he has a hidden agenda.

I think King Wilhelm had good intentions for Voulhire. For the most part, those good intentions were overwhelmed by people around him like Lord Meldorath.

Ediomis_Enwongo01 wrote: ↑09 Oct 2020, 15:38 I think King Wilhelm had good intentions for Voulhire. For the most part, those good intentions were overwhelmed by people around him like Lord Meldorath.

I agree. Maido also wiped out the good Wilhelm had done by appointing Eldus when he allowed Hillport to be taken and didn't sent a warning because he wanted to make Wilhelm look bad.

Ediomis_Enwongo01 wrote: ↑09 Oct 2020, 15:38 I think King Wilhelm had good intentions for Voulhire. For the most part, those good intentions were overwhelmed by people around him like Lord Meldorath.

You are right. His intentions for Voulhire are always good. But people like Meldorath and Maido are a big threat to these good intentions.

Aisha_123 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2020, 00:12 King Wilhelm seems like a good king. What are your general thoughts about the King? Do you think he might have a hidden agenda for Voulhire? What do you think about the situation with Lord Meldorath? Was he right to imprison him without a trial or he didn't want to be seen as biased due to their relationship? Lastly, what do you think of Voulhire under his rule?

I agree that King Wilhelm is a good person. He is the kind of King who uses his heart over important matters (which could be negative in some ways). Just look how he treat his son, Darius. Wilhelm is not strict nor forced things on him. Even Midius doesn't treat him with much respect. This man points to him his wrong decisions like he knew more than the king.

I just don't find Wilhelm a strong king. He and Meldorath were very good friends. It is early to assume what really happened, but perhaps the king is just trying to be an example that laws are applicable to everyone.

I think he is too kind- he should have killed meldorath. I also think that he doesn't have a hidden agenda for Voulhire.

I loved King Wilhelm's character. I mentioned in my review how it is more common to read about evil and impulsive rulers, so it was a breath of fresh air to read about a King that seemed to care. I think that his decision of imprisoning Meldorath came from a good place, he just wanted to restore peace in his kingdom and getting rid of the fear that had been installed in the population.

I would not be so quick to judge King Wilhelm as a good man. He is a good king, he is genuinely interested in helping the people, but I think he has some skeletons in the closet.

King Wilhelm comes across as sad and melancholy to me. I believe he may have other things on his mind besides Voulhire. It might be due to concern for his son or perhaps the things that he's experienced and regrets throughout his reign as King. I suppose he may have a hidden agenda for Voulhire, though that's not the first impression I got from him. I believe he made a mistake in not having Meldorath executed if it was even possible to do so in the first place. Due to the course of action he chose, I doubt he left himself many options other than keeping matters a secret. I think the Kingdom is on the verge of falling apart due to such bad decisions. It's only a matter of time before someone lights the fuse.

Wilhelm appears to be a good king and be respected by his people. I also appreciate his thought for Hilport when he sends Lord Eldus there. However, by the end of the book, I start to doubt his wisdom. While the king has good eyes for benevolent men, he doesn't have good judgment for their caution. Captain Barcaedi and Lord Eldus know about the abnormal things happen around Hilport, and they even suspect that Meldorath's alive. But they don't report it, and as a result, they pay for that with their lives. Even after Hilport's incident, Wilhelm doesn't bother to check Meldorath's situation at all, even though the mage is right next to the town. As Nartik said, Hilport is but a village of fisherman, surely there must be a reason for the Riva to target such a town. It seems Wilhelm is confident that Meldorath can't do anything from his prison, or he never suspects that Meldorath would plan for revenge.

I believe King Wilhelm is a good and just king; it's the balance of control amongst his council (both good and bad) that often seems to get out of hand. As a king seeking respect from his subjects, he is often coerced into decisions that he may not have usually taken in order to appease them and keep them in line.