KING WILLIAM

KING WILLIAM William is the uneasy part of this alliance. He has the crown and the responsibility, but neither gives him an easy answer when Orcus threatens the city's children. His willingness to accept the bargain puts him at odds with the people who become essential to Tallus's defense. That doesn't disappear just because everyone eventually faces a common enemy. His place in the story forces a difficult question: how much harm will a ruler agree to do while claiming to protect his people? William belongs in the account of Tallus's defenders because the city and its forces are part of the battle. He also belongs in it because leadership under pressure is one of the arc's central problems. The crown doesn't make his decisions morally sound.