Sir Myles of Olau was a knight, scholar and the Baron of Olau. Myles was Spymaster and adviser to King Jonathan IV, and teacher of History and Laws of the Realm to the pages. He later married Eleni Cooper, George Cooper's mother, and adopted Alanna the Lioness as his daughter not long after she became a knight and revealed her true sex. He was generally referred to as a desk-knight, and had well-established philosophical issues with the concept of Chivalry.
He features in the Song of the Lioness quartet, the Immortals Quartet, the Protector of the Small and the Trickster duet.
Biography
When Alanna first arrived at the Tortallan royal palace Myles was generally known as the "court drunk"[1] and didn't appear to have an important role in the running of Tortall. He was probably the pages' most favorite teacher, who had engaging debates with his students, especially Alex, which sometimes lead to the pages falling behind in the history they were meant to learn. This also brought him some rebuke from the Duke of Naxen, who preferred the pages to learn proper history to them debating with their teacher about the Code of Civalry. Myles had his classroom decorated with maps and charts on the walls and also had a board with large sheets of paper to write on.[2] Myles was a knight, although the first time Alanna saw him don armor and weapons was during the Tusaine War.
Myles was influential in Alanna's life during her years as a page and squire. Over Alanna's years as a page and squire, Myles befriended her and became her mentor, a father-figure. He took Alanna to Barony Olau when she was a page. They traveled to the ruins there where Alanna found Lightning, a magical sword. She often spent nights playing chess with him instead of with her friends Jon, Gary, Raoul and Alex. Alanna was drawn to his wisdom and understanding, and turned to him when Coram wrote of a particularly difficult problem with Trebond (she acted as Lord of Trebond when she was a squire). Myles often commented that Prince Jonathan reminded him of the "old king", Jasson I of Conté, and claimed that he drank to ignore the state of the court and Tortall.
Interestingly, Myles offered Keladry of Mindelan a hand of friendship when she began her years as a page, although Kel never appeared to take this offer up.
When Halef Seif's friend entrusted Alanna with the map to the Dominion Jewel Alanna used Myles' trading connections during her travels to the Roof of the World. While she was gone, Myles helped George Cooper by taking Eleni Cooper into his house to protect her from thieves who followed "Claw" (Ralon of Malven). He later fell in love with Eleni, and they were married after the coronation.
When Myles had inherited Olau, it had been financially struggling. Myles entered trade in order to recover Olau's debts, and it was through these connections that he built on a spy network when Jonathan became king.
Myles continued his role as teacher of History and Law of the Realm. He was grandfather, although not actually related to the children by blook, to Thom, Alan and Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, Alanna's three children.
During the Scanran War, Myles and Eleni spent most of their time in Corus with King Jonathan and Queen Thayet.
Physical description
- "He was the oddest mixture of disarray and good nature she had ever encountered, and she liked him on sight."
- —Alanna's first impression of Myles[src]
Myles was a short man, described as being "plump". When Alanna became a page his long hair was still brown, although already streaked with gray. His beard was also long and "shaggy". His clothes weren't as immaculate as those of many nobles, showing wrinkles and trousers that were bagged at the knees. His nose was "tiny" and "delicate" and he liked to smile. Myles' large eyes were of a green-brown color.[3]
Personality and traits
- Alanna: "I liked him a lot. He just seems --"
- Alex: "Odd. The word you want is "odd.""
- Alanna: "Actually, he seems very wise."
- — Alanna and Alex after Alanna's first lesson with Myles as a page[src]
Myles developed a habit to drink because he was too aware of the court intrigues and drowned this awareness in alcohol. But he was also a good teacher in History and Law with the ability to make it "seem real." To Alanna, who waited on him at the daily evening banquets, he was friendly and sometime gave her sweets or a silver penny when she helped him to his rooms because he had drunk too much.[4]
Skills and abilities
Relationships
Appearances
- The Song of the Lioness
- Protector of the Small
- First Test Template:Minor
- Daughter of the Lioness
- Trickster's Choice (vision sent by Kyprioth)
- Trickster's Queen (epilogue)