"It's not a matter of maintenance and repair.  The lightlines expend charge to function, and need recharging, by sorcerers for no others are powerful enough; without the Grands, the Farm can't charge as many.  It is not a matter of disrepair, they could be charged right back up again if we had a Prince again."

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."

"I'm confused by your statement about the lightlines being worth maintaining.  It's not a matter of maintenance and repair.  The lightlines expend charge to function, and need recharging, by sorcerers for no others are powerful enough; without the Grands, the Farm can't charge as many.  It is not a matter of disrepair, they could be charged right back up again if we had a Prince again."

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."

"Worth it to who?  Who pays?  If it's worth something to three people, which of them pay how much?"

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."

"Worth maintaining to who?  Who pays?  If it's worth something to three people, which of them pay how much?"

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."

"Worth maintaining to whom?  Who pays?  If it's worth something to three people, which of them pay how much?"

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."

"Worth maintaining for whom?  Who pays?  If it's worth something to three people, which of them pay how much?"

"And I'm not sure what to say in answer to your question except that it seems to involve... different basic assumptions about how politics works, and I'm not sure which assumptions differ?  Authority comes from power, the ability to threaten or bribe.  The Grands lost power, the ability to bribe and threaten, so nobody will treat them as having authority until they regain that power."