Mistborn #02 The Well of Ascension

book.
    "Now, let's talk about guilt," Tindwyl said, seating herself. "Stop cleaning. That isn't a job for a king."
    Elend sighed, setting down the book.
    "Guilt," Tindwyl said, "does not become a king. You have to stop feeling sorry for yourself."
    "You just told me everything that happens in the kingdom is my fault!"
    "It is."
    "How can I not feel guilty, then?"
    "You have to feel confident that your actions are the best," Tindwyl explained. "You have to know that no matter how bad things get, they would be worse without you. When disaster occurs, you take responsibility, but you don't wallow or mope. You aren't allowed that luxury; guilt is for lesser men. You simply need to do what is expected."
    "And that is?"
    "To make everything better."
    "Great," Elend said flatly. "And if I fail?"
    "Then you accept responsibility, and make everything better on the second try."
    Elend rolled his eyes. "And what if I can't ever make things better? What if I'm really not the best man to be king?"
    "Then you remove yourself from the position," Tindwyl said. "Suicide is the preferred method—assuming, of course, that you have an heir. A good king knows not to foul up the succession."
    "Of course," Elend said. "So, you're saying I should just kill myself."
    "No. I'm telling you to have pride in yourself, Your Majesty."
    "That's not what it sounds like. Every day you tell me how poor a king I am, and how my people will suffer because of it! Tindwyl, I'm not the best man for this position. He got himself killed by the Lord Ruler."
    "That is enough!" Tindwyl snapped. "Believe it or not, Your Majesty, you are the best person for this position."
    Elend snorted.
    "You are best," Tindwyl said, "because you hold the throne now. If there is anything worse than a mediocre king, it is chaos—which is what this kingdom would have if you hadn't taken the throne. The people on both sides, noblemen and skaa, accept you. They may not believe in you, but they accept you. Step down now—or even die accidentally—and there would be confusion, collapse, and destruction. Poorly trained or not, weak of character or not, mocked or not, you are all this country has. You are king , Elend Venture."
    Elend paused. "I'm. . .not sure if you're making me feel any better about myself, Tindwyl."
    "It's—"
    Elend raised a hand. "Yes, I know. It's not about how I feel."
    "You have no place for guilt. Accept that you're king, accept that you can do nothing constructive to change that, and accept responsibility. Whatever you do, be confident—for if you weren't here, there would be chaos."
    Elend nodded.
    "Arrogance, Your Majesty," Tindwyl said. "Successful leaders all share one common trait—they believe that they can do a better job than the alternatives. Humility is fine when considering your responsibility and duty, but when it comes time to make a decision, you must not question yourself."
    "I'll try."
    "Good," Tindwyl said. "Now, perhaps, we can move on to another matter. Tell me, why haven't you married that young girl?"
    Elend frowned. Wasn't expecting that . . .. "That's a very personal question, Tindwyl."
    "Good."
    Elend deepened his frown, but she sat expectantly, watching him with one of her unrelenting stares.
    "I don't know," Elend finally said, sitting back in his chair, sighing. "Vin isn't. . .like other women."
    Tindwyl raised an eyebrow, her voice softening slightly. "I think that the more women you come to know, Your Majesty, the more you'll find that statement applies to all of them."
    Elend nodded ruefully.
    "Either way," Tindwyl said, "things are not well as they stand. I will not pry further into your relationship, but—as we've discussed—appearances are very important to a king. It isn't appropriate for you to be seen as having a mistress. I realize that sort of thing was common for imperial nobility. The skaa, however, want to see something better in you. Perhaps because many noblemen were so frivolous with their sexual lives, the skaa have always prized monogamy. They wish desperately for you to respect their values."
    "They'll just have to be patient with us," Elend said. "I actually want to marry Vin, but she won't have it."
    "Do you know why?"
    Elend shook his head. "She. . .doesn't seem to make sense a lot of the time."
    "Perhaps she isn't right for a man in your position."
    Elend looked up sharply. "What does that mean?"
    "Perhaps you need someone a little more refined," Tindwyl said. "I'm certain she's a fine bodyguard, but