As the sun rose over the Capital of Aurelicht, its golden spires caught the first light of day — a city carved from ambition and sanctified by power.
Below, the morning stirred to life: vendors shouting into the market square, forges roaring to life, and children's laughter echoing off cobbled streets.
High above it all, a man stood upon the palace's balcony. Its golden sheen reflected against the sun as a man stood watching over his Empire, Albrecht III von Altenkron.
Behind him, a shade emerged soundlessly, bowing as it placed a sealed letter unto his marble table.
He raised his hand without turning. The paper lifted from the table and slid into his grasp as if by nature. His eyes scanned the wax seal, the Duchy of Lysandre. He opened it.
He flicked the letter towards the man standing at the doorway.
"I half expected my son to die… and yet he rose to the occasion."
The man caught the letter, "It seems so, My Emperor."
"Ewald, It is vexing that he was not born from a better mother."
"Fate favors us in different ways." Ewald allowed himself a quiet chuckle, "And he seems to have done better than you expected. To obliterate an army three times his size, using nothing but cunning is impressive. Simply within expectations."
"And yet, I sent him to die regardless." He stared at the city, seemingly out of focus.
A beat of silence.
Then Ewald replied with a knowing smile. "Emotions truly are the bane of rulers."
"Truly." He muttered. "I suppose it was wise to send him to the Gallentiennian border."
"If he keeps such impressive feats, he'll be a deterrent."
Albrecht chuckled back, "It is a good start for a legend, I suppose."
"Shall I draft the letter of conferment?"
"Send it across the Empire. And send it twice across Lysandre."
"By your command, My Emperor."
Albrecht turned away from the window, his face hidden from the world, "I shall meet with my councillors inside The Golden Chamber."
"By your will." Ewald turned his back and left, acknowledging his friend's simple wish.
Within the Golden Chamber, four men sat beneath the Hall's Golden Light, the right piercing around them as it pooled on their obsidian table.
The Imperial mage Halbrecht Rensallion sat, stroking his beard. "I've heard something of interest."
"Do you now?" Arvo remarked, glasses gleaming against the light, a smirk on his face. "Is it perhaps something relating to our wayward prince?"
"Message truly runs fast across your ministry, doesn't it?"
"It is only right that the Minister of Finance and Trade knows the shifts in the country's rulership."
"It is really a sight to behold!" Theodore laughed raucously, slapping his knee as his scarred crinkled in laughter. "The little shit actually did it! The bastard poached some of my officers and started training his little army." He laughed even harder, "I gave him the troublemaker and made an army with them."
He leaned forward, elbows on the obsidian table. "The bastard took them—beat them into shape, trained them into wolves. Even his mages are fucking ridiculous now. Organized barriers!"
Halbrecht nodded solemnly, "I have heard the same report, it is remarkable that such magic can be organized in such a way. I myself find it curious, who taught him such… magic."
"Don't fucking know, but he last I heard he taught them to read and build roads."
"Roads?" A gravelly voice asked, Alaric cut them off. "Tell me more of this, to what extent has he taught them? I am in grave need of learned men, perhaps I can poach some for myself."
"Quite a departure from the military though, is it not? Magic, I can understand but roads?" Arvo asked, interested.
"I don't know what to tell you, that's what I fucking heard."
Then the door slinked open as silence suddenly dominated the room.
The four men stood up and bowed till their waist, eyes down.
Albrecht walked in with measured steps, "So, it seems the news has reached you."
"It is so, My Emperor." Arvo replied, "Earl Audrick is nowhere to be seen, his lands and properties repossessed."
Albrecht sat and raised his hand as the four men sat promptly.
Ewald enters with a flourish, four letters in hand. "Gentlemen, I have made this for you personally."
A letter lands in front of them as Ewald sat, smiling in amusement.
A minute silence then chaos.
Arvo was the first one to speak up, "My Emperor! This… this will change things." His eyes flickered, as if already calculating the cost and the change that will occur with his decree.
Theodore laughed even harder, "My Emperor! That boy is going to be a fucking pain."
Halbrecht meanwhile, sat still. "This will not bode well with the Imperial Diet."
Alaric sighed, "Bode well shall be an understatement, The Duchy of Lysandre has been empty for centuries now, some believed the Crown will be holding it forever. But for you to grant it unto your bastard would be spitting in their face."
Albrecht's expression remained impassive as he said, "I am aware of the implications. But this remains within my executive discretion, I tell you this so that we may make use of it."
Arvo studied his letter, "You mean to use this as provocation, your son will be… tested."
"I am aware, but this is his desire. And he has answered with fire and I shall indulge him."
The council went quiet.
Theodore stopped in his laughter, as a serious expression came over him. "Do you also wish to grant him the authority to control the Armies of the West? If so, then I can tell you now. That is going to be a problem, too many snobby little shits have used the peace with Gallentien. They'll pressure him further."
Albrecht nodded and turned his eyes up at the sky as an eagle flew by. "You cannot expect a bird to fly without resistance."
Ewald chuckled, "Such is the risk of those with ambition. But needless to say, war with Gallentien will come. It is only a matter of time. Their time of chaos has bred warriors of considerable worth, and created a king with a thirst for war. We must prepare our borders lest we find ourselves tested once more. And he has shown considerable merit."
Theodore scoffed, "Slaughtering mercenaries does not make a general. And Audrick himself is a green boy. Not exactly, the vote of confidence you think it is."
Halbrecht swallowed thickly, eyes locked on Albrecht. "For this he must be forged in the crucible of war. Isn't that so?"
Alaric stared silently before he asked, "My Emperor, is this right?"
Arvo turned away, "What's right or not matters little to the state."
Ewald interjected, "Precisely, Duke Lucien Altenkron shall assert his control over his duchy. A rebellion within his land shall be his problem, this topic is how to control the chaos that will follow and remove the risk of escalation."
Arvo nodded, "The ministry can survey the supplies going in and out Lysandre. But mana crystals and weapons will be smuggled, regardless."
Halbrecht sighed, "My ministry can regulate their supplies. I shall coordinate with Arvo to smuggle the young prince with ample supply of mana. Even then, I would like to remind everyone here that this is not war. Not yet, at least."
Alaric stared at the table, evading the Emperor's eye. "I can prioritize the civil projects across the Duchy. Though it'd take me a more robust budget to fully rebuild its infrastructure."
Theodore grunted, "I can probably send some men in to avoid escalation. Fuck, I could go myself if it gets too far. But once their rebellion starts, shall we give a measured response?"
"No, all forces are to stand by." Albrecht answered, "If the Imperial armies are called, the conflict risks escalation. And a full blown civil war is… unnecessary for the moment."
"If the boy dies then he dies, is that what you meant?" Alaric muttered.
The room was instantly filled with heavy silence.
Albrecht locked eyes with Alaric as he answered. "We do what must be done."
Halbrecht cuts through the tension, "Duke Lucien is no longer a child, this conferment is a decision he has made. And one that needs to be respected. While war is on the table, I would argue that he might settle this matter handily. I have met him a few times now, he's a smart child, a diplomatic one."
Arvo shrugged, "It matters little now, I'm sure the letters are already being sent, aren't they?"
Ewald smiled, "Of course, I expect this matter to appear once during the next Diet. Shall we move on other matters?"
Theodore grunted, "I guess so, but I'll try to whip the Army of the West back to shape."
Arvo nodded, "Sure, at the mean time. I'll see how the nobles in danger of rebellion and make the proper countermeasures for it."
Alaric sighed, "Understood."
Halbrecht leaned back with a breath of relief, "Then for the next matter, I would like to put attention to the sudden increase of the Forbidden Love potion."