Yellow Jacket

The Moment

Tallo was a juggler, a common entertainer hired for cheap spectacle in the court of Prince Haroun. He was no warrior, no assassin, just a man who could keep six knives in the air until the crowd forgot to breathe.

On the day of the heir's death, Tallo performed in the great hall of the Cloudspire. Nobles wagered on his count. Princeling Mahlaah laughed into his cup. Then a knife slipped.

It spun, struck, and buried itself in Mahlaah's throat. Wine spilled with blood. The hall went silent. Guards lunged forward to cut Tallo down.

But Haroun stood and clapped. "At last," he said, "someone who understands timing."

And so the Fool lived. More than that, he was adopted.

The Adoption Edict

Still displayed in the Cloudspire, carved into stone:

"Let it be known: the performer Tallo, the Fool of Knives, is henceforth my son.

The knife has chosen better. Keep him dangerous. Dress him, feed him, and seat him among princes.
The old heir is gone. The new heir juggles well."
Haroun, Prince of the Cloudspire, on the Day of Applause

Court Under the Knife-Son

Etiquette warps: Nobles now juggle with blunted, gilded blades. Dropping one in public is treated as flattery: "Your Highness, I fall for you."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Accidents as policy: Haroun delights in staging "accidental executions." A guest slips, a rival tumbles, a blade "falls." Each death is framed as spectacle.

Succession by spectacle: Haroun says, "An heir must balance." Suddenly, rival heirs practice tumbling, juggling, and knife-play as if their survival depends on it.

Tallo himself gains a chamber in the upper reaches, silk clothes, and tutors. But he also inherits endless assassination attempts, poisoned cups, knives left under his pillow, cousins who smile with teeth too sharp.

Names and Titles

Knife-Son

Prince Jest

The Accident Heir

Haroun's Last Laugh

But above all, his name is spoken most often as it always was: Tallo. A single word that carries both ridicule and dread.

Among the Common Folk

The Princedoms' commoners repeat the tale in hushed tones, then laugh too loud to cover their fear. To them, Tallo is proof that even towers can stumble.

Tavern Mockery: Spilling a cup on purpose is called the Fool's Pour, a toast to accidents changing the world.

Street Sayings: "Better a fool with knives than a prince with none."

Children's Rhyme: Juggle high, juggle low / One slip and down you go.

These whispers circulate in every market and village. Haroun bans them, but words spread faster than steel.

Legacy

Within the Cloudspire, knife juggling with sharpened blades is outlawed for all but Tallo. Any other performer caught attempting it loses their hands.

Outside the Spire, among the common people, the tale has become a living joke, one that cuts at the bone of noble arrogance. The heir is forgotten. The Fool endures.