Necromancer's Descent

32 - Seeds of Progress

Claudius' Point of View
3 Years Ago

The throne hall is buzzing with life, as the nobles get seated on each side of the conference table. Their chairs makes with flags adorned with their coat of arms.

"Send an extra servant to help with the coats. It's taking too long," I whisper to my aide, and send him off, while I make sure that everything is as I planned it.

I've reconfirmed the invitations, and the seating places. Unless they've made friends or enemies while waiting for the meeting to open, then all of then should be seated with likeminded individuals... as far as their rank allows of course. Though, I'd like some of the new nobility a bit closer to the throne. Since they're so far away they often get overlooked at conferences, despite being the main source of progress in the country.

Of course, the pride of the old nobility wouldn't allow for something so useful.

Perhaps I should tell Alexis to hold the meetings a bit more often, to encourage smaller meetings, that would allow the lesser and newer nobility to be heard more effectively?

I glance down the hall to look for irregularities, and spot Lord Nightridge wandering around in the edge of the hall, and he meets my eyes with an expressionless cold gaze. Honestly I prefer the former Lord Nightridge, who could at least hide his inhability to feel affection. Despite being Lady Henrietta's fiancé, this guy has none of her charm.

I plaster on a smile and step down from the throne platform.

The only reason he was made Alexis' childhood friend, is because his family owns an enormous amount of businesses, and has monopoly on several luxuries such as porcelain and pepper. Very few merchants and new nobility have the economy for the start capital to set up pepper production on the northern islands, so House Nightridge gets to go uncontested... And house Nightridge makes sure to keep it that way, with every monopoly they have.

That's House Nightridge.

No talent in fighting. Just money, cunning and brutality. In other words, the strongest card against my supporters.

"It has been a while, Lord Nightridge, is something wrong? Have you finally come to request breaking your betrothal to Henrietta "

He bows, with those same cold eyes, neither bothered nor amused with my words.

"Your Highness Claudius. I would never make such a request."

Of course not.

I end up narrowing my eyes at him, and widen my smile to make it look friendly. To which he just stares stiffly. Whatever Henrietta sees in this guy boggles me. She's such a lively and charming girl in public that they look mismatched, and in private it would be like a stormy winter, given their personalities.

"Your Highness."

He stares stiffly, and his tone gets even colder.

"You should cease your impulse to control everything around you. His Majesty requested you to be his advisor, not an aide nor a pro tempore regent."

A burst of heat rises to my head, and I snap a short breath while clenching a hand behind my back.

"I have done nothing but help my brother, where are these accusations stemming from, Lord Nightridge?"

I put emphasis on his name, but as you'd expect he doesn't know his place at all.

"The reason your brother, his Majesty, Prince Alexis made you his advisor, was to prevent scuffle over the throne, and overcome the growing gap between new and old nobility. Especially since a king may not be crowned until the loop is over. You seem to have forgotten this, your Highness. There is a limit to how much of your behaviour I can help Henrietta cover up," he says quietly, in a half-hearted attempt to keep our conversation private, despite being watched by people around us.