We get some further insight into the way Joyse was known to be when Terisa escapes to Domne and is in discussion with that Care's lord. The Domne talks about not wanting to save the world like King Joyse, even though he
does want it to be saved! The Domne prefers to focus on looking out for the people and resources of his own care, where he can more easily see what he can do to improve life. It is just after he explains this to Terisa that the following quote fits in:
In chapter 32 of [i]A Man Rides Through[/i] was wrote:Terisa thought that perhaps King Joyse and his old friend had more in common than the Domne appeared to realize. Problems should be solved by those who see them. But she preferred the Domne's way of doing it. Controlling her tendency to get angry whenever she thought about the King, she inquired, "Then why are you friends?"
"I'm not sure I can explain it," he said musingly. "We need each other.
"When I first met him--when he chased away the minor Cadwal prince who had been using the Care of Domne as his personal vassalage for the better part of a decade and set us free--I hadn't thought to refuse anything. I had as much fire in my blood as any young man who had just been released from a servitude he hated, and I seem to recall that I was perfectly willing to start learning how to use a sword.
"But when I actually met him--
"Terisa, that smile of his went right through my heart. As if it came down to me from the sky, I knew that I loved him. And I knew that the Care of Domne was never going to be what I wanted it to be if he didn't protect it. And I know that he needed something from me--something he wasn't going to be able to get from anybody else."
"Like what?"
"Balance," replied the Domne distinctly. "He needed balance. He wanted to save the world. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Men who want to save the world--and who make a few mistakes--become tyrants. The things they really want and love slip out of their fingers, and they end up clinging to the power because it's all they have left. The possibility was written all over him. He was the brightest and keenest man I had ever met--the kind of man who just naturally makes you want to lie down in the dirt for him--and I simply couldn't bear the idea that he might go too far and turn all the good in him rotten.
"It all came to me in a burst, like a sunrise. And it terrified me, because if I refused him he might just ride away and leave the Care of Domne to fend for itself. But it was necessary. We needed each other.
"He rode into Houseldon, as bright as a new day, but I stood my ground as if I had the right to it. 'Well, my lord Domne,' he said with that smile, wringing my heart because until he came I'd never believed that I would be lord of my own land, 'you're free. At least for a while. How many men can you give me?'
"'None, my lord King,' I said.
"'What, none?' He stopped smiling. I seem to remember he put his hand on his sword.
"I was terrified, but I said, 'This is the foaling season. I need every man I have.'
"He was angry, furious. But he was also perplexed. 'Let me understand you,' he said. 'Domne has been butchered back and forth between Alend and Cadwal for generations. You've been a vassal yourself your entire life until today. And all you care about is your sheep?'
"I swear to you, Terisa, his anger nearly blinded me. And I was getting a crick in my neck from staring up at him. 'I didn't say that, my lord King,' I replied. 'You asked how many men I can send away to be killed in your wars. The answer is, none. I need help with my foals.'
"He really has very little sense of humor. But he has a wonderful sense of joy. Or had. Instead of splitting my head open, he started to laugh.
"That night, we had one of the best feasts I've ever attended. I thought he was going to laugh for days. He kept saying, 'Sheep. Sheep,' and falling out of his chair.
"We've been friends ever since."
Terisa was surprised to find that she felt like crying. She knew what King Joyse's smile was like. From the first, she had wanted to like him, please him; she had wanted to serve him. The Domne reminded her of that--and of the fact that it was impossible. King Joyse himself had made it impossible.
In a soft voice, she asked, "And now? Are you still friends now?" After what he did to Nyle and Geraden and his own daughters? After what he's doing to the Congery and Mordant?
Slowly, the Domne turned his head, shifted his gaze from the window to look at her. His eyes seemed partially blind--adjusted to the brightness outside and unable to make her out clearly.
"He isn't responsible for Nyle's choices. He isn't even responsible for Castellan Lebbick's sanity. Both of them could have trusted him. At the same time, he went to a lot of trouble to keep you and Geraden as safe as he could.
"He's still my friend, Terisa. We need each other. Do you really want me to turn my back on him?"
After a while, she found that she was able to say, "No." In spite of her anger, she had no intention of turning her own back on the King.
Yes, the King's game is costly to his friends, but he's worth sticking with because it's costlier to the world if his enemies win. That's what I got out of this passage. And that King Joyse is good at heart and deserves trust even when he makes such trust difficult. Anyone else have any different/other interpretations of this passage?