King's Boon
| King's Boon | |
|---|---|
| Related to | Alethkar |
| Type | Tradition |
| World of Origin | Roshar |
| Universe | Cosmere |
“ I offer you a boon. Name what you wish of me or of this court. It shall be yours. ”
— King Elhokar to Adolin[1]
On Roshar, the King's Boon is a privilege that can be granted to a lighteyes who has preformed an impressive feat before the King of Alethkar, such as winning an impressive duel.[2] The limit of what the boon can grant is unknown, though it must, presumably, adhere to the existing laws and traditions, meaning that a darkeyes cannot demand it, or use it to attack a lighteyes.[3] If the boon includes the king's subject, that person must obey it as well.[1]
History
The origins of King's Boon are uncertain. It's possible it might've come from the times of the Sunmaker, the last person to unite the entirety of Alethkar.[4]
Much like the Right of Challenge, King's Boon is a tradition that, while well-known to the Alethi lighteyes, has fallen to the wayside in the recent centuries. It has only been revived by king Gavilar Kholin when he sought to rid himself of a rebellious highprince, Yenev. To get it, Torol Sadeas duelled an unknown man with the purpose of awing the crowd. Upon his victory, Gavilar offered him a boon, which Sadeas used to challenge Yenev to a duel to the death, killing him and paving the way for Aladar to replace him.[2]
In the weeks preceding the Battle of Narak, House Kholin sought to entrap Sadeas in a similar way. Following his victory in a four-on-one duel, Adolin Kholin was granted the boon by king Elhokar, and used it to to demand the Right of Challenge from Sadeas. However, at the same time Kaladin, demanded a boon as well for coming to Adolin's rescue. When it turned out he wanted to challenge Amaram, he was arrested for slander, and Sadeas managed to weasel out of his own duel in the ensuing chaos.[1][3]