Whither the Copper Isles?

[osprey_archer]

anait is an enabler. In my post about why Aly from Trickster’s Choice is such an irritating heroine, I commented to her that the whole duology would make so much more sense if Aly had been sent to the Copper Isles on purpose to spy for Tortall, rather than accidently captured by slavers -

And she said, (I am paraphrasing) “I would so read that AU.”

So I’ve been working on the political background.

During Kaddar and Kalasin’s betrothal arrangements, the Tortallans and Carthakis threw together a plan to divide the Copper Isles between them. (The Copper Isles are clearly Tortall’s Poland.) The Carthakis will keep Dunevon as their puppet king (thus obviating the need to assassinate a five-year-old...at least for now), while Sarai will act as puppet queen for Tortall.

But for this to work, the Tortallans need a spy in the Copper Isles to help the Balitangs get their rebellion off the ground. The spy needs to be competent enough to get the rebellion rolling. Yet the spy also needs to be totally unknown to the Rittevon’s intelligence network - and to be someone they’ll never suspect of spying. Most of all, the spy needs to be someone important enough that they’ll believe her when she says she has the backing of the king.

Enter Alianne of Pirate’s Swoop, daughter of the legendary King’s Champion and the King’s spymaster. She has the skills, she can go under the radar (who would suspect a sixteen-year-old slave girl of being a master spy?), and she has enough clout that the Balitangs will take seriously her offer of Tortall’s covert support for their rebellion.

Obviously Aly isn’t sharing the whole plan “puppet queen Sarai!” plan with the Balitangs, although the adults at least have probably guessed that Tortall isn’t acting out of unalloyed altruism. (Sarai and Dove may see Aly as their uncomplicated savior, at least at first. They are going to be deeply disillusioned.)

If Aly feels any pangs of conscience, she probably rationalizes it thus:

Tthe Balitangs aren’t strong enough to hold the throne on their own. Their rebellion will merely plunge the Copper Isles into a bloody and protracted civil war. Therefore, a swift invasion by Tortall will save lives.

Moreover, Tortallans will be way nicer to the raka than the luarin were. Tortall may even outlaw slavery: a political masterstroke which will endear their new Tortallan overlords to the raka and break the luarin nobles’ economic backbone!

(Plus, abolishing slavery will allow the Tortallans to see colonizing the Copper Isles as an example of their righteousness and benevolence. But Aly wouldn’t think of it like that. At this point, she simply assumes that Tortall always is righteous and benevolent.)

Unfortunately, once slavery has been outlawed in Tortall’s acquisitions, they will probably receive a steady stream of runaways from the Carthaki section of the Copper Isles. This will irritate the Carthakis, thus leading to the beginning of the end of the Carthaki/Tortall “Let’s screw the Copper Isles!” alliance - which will be further exacerbated when important mineral deposits are discovered along the near Carthaki/Tortallan border in the Copper Isles...

But that’s a story for Part II: In Which Aly Becomes a Traitor to the Crown of Tortall (and the Sisters Balitang Kick Ass).