"You do not understand" says his mother, and "You do not understand" says the Lord Chancellor, and in the confusion and pain and fear of the moment, Idra sees a way to take that not-understanding and make of it a weapon, at once both attack and defense. Later, he thinks, I will be the unruly, disreputable cousin, and when there are more children between me and the succession, I will teach them how to not-understand. And done carefully, properly, all planned - he thinks it might be rather good fun.