Chapter 8: The Noble Council (Part 2)
The candle light filtering into Alexius's solar shown he is not asleep, he is busy with the System's "Speechcraft Module" in his mind's eye. He'd spent hours with it, thinking hard what he believed Leo and he needed the most. It, in turn, had offered structures, rhetorical devices, even analyzed the likely emotional triggers for key figures like Marquess Varrus. It felt like cheating, yet it was also an intensely personal process, forcing him to crystallize his own vision for the Principality. He was no great public speaker, Michael Sano had been more comfortable with code than crowds, but Grand Prince Alexius had to voice, his own thinking to solve the noble council's deadlock on succession.
Elias entered with a plate of plain bread and weak tea. "You did not rest well, Your Majesty?"
Alexius managed a wry smile. "The fate of the realm isn't exactly conducive to peaceful sleep, Elias. Today we will see if words can avert bloodshed, or if they are merely the prelude to it."
And time passed on and the sun light penetrated his solar from the window. It's time. HE Dressed once more in the simple black doublet, he made his way to the Great Hall. The atmosphere was even more suffocating than the previous day. The nobles were debating back and forth, their conversations were cut short as he entered the Great Hall. He could feel the impatience, the fear, the greed of the nobles gathering in this hall. He steeled himself in his mind and he is determined to sway the noble lords to his own determination.
Lord Titus Cornelius, kicked off the proceedings almost immediately after Lord Chamberlain Astolfo declared the Council reconvened. He didn't bother with pleasantries.
"Honorable nobles!" Titus declared, his voice echoing in the Great Hall. "Yesterday's deliberations revealed the profound anxieties we all share for Leo's future. A young Prince, however well-intentioned, cannot possess the experience needed to navigate these storms. The precedent of a Regent Council, comprised of seasoned leaders who represent the true strength of our land – our noble houses – is not a slight, but a safeguard! It is wisdom! It is strength! and It's must be establish."
His faction approve with claps. Titus then launched an attack or insult, suggesting Alexius was being unduly influenced by "a small clique of palace sycophants," clearly gesturing towards Elias and Captain Gregor, and implying the recent, quiet consolidation of power in the capital was a sign of autocratic tendencies, not responsible governance.
Duke Thorne rose from his seat cutting short Lord Titus, "Lord Titus mistakes ambition for wisdom. A Regent Council, in these times, would be a nest of vipers, each faction vying for dominance while Leo burns. The Valerius proposal is not for Leo's strength, but for the strength of one Duke's faction." He turned to Alexius. "House Thorne stands by the rightful succession. However, the Grand Prince must understand that the nobility are not mere subjects, but partners in rule. Our ancient rights must be inviolate."
The lines were drawn just as before, he want noble authority to be autonomus not to be controlled by the crown. The tension was a living thing in the hall. Alexius, rose from his seat, Then, all eyes turned to Alexius. This was his moment. He rose, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs, but he forced his stance to be firm, his gaze steady. He had the System's guidance, but the words, the conviction, had to be his own.
"My Lords and Ladies," he began, "I have listened to your counsel, your concerns, your fears. They are not unfounded. Leo stands at a crossroad. Our treasury is depleted by corruption and mismanagement. The Sea of Forests whispers with renewed monster threats. And our powerful neighbors watch us, like wolves circling a wounded deer to devour."
He paused, letting the reality sink in. "Lord Titus speaks of my youth, my 'inexperience.' It is true, I have not spent decades navigating the currents of courtly intrigue. However, My experience is more recent. It is the experience of seeing my father fade, of feeling the weight of this Crown descend upon me while jackals were already snapping at the gates. It is the experience of the last week, where I have taken what steps I could, with the resources available, to ensure that this capital, at least, did not descend into chaos upon my father's passing." A subtle reminder of his control over the city guards, a fact many in the room were likely uncomfortably aware of.
"He speaks of a Regent Council as a safeguard. I ask you, a council of whom? Will it be a council united in purpose? Or will it be a battleground for the ambitions of the powerful, each seeking to carve out their own domain while the people suffer and our enemies laugh?" His gaze flickered towards Titus, then to Thorne. "Will the wolf and the badger truly lie down together in harmony for the good of the sheep?"
A few uncomfortable coughs, a ripple of unease appear here and there. Everybody, realized that He wasn't just a boy; he had claws, he is good at speech.
"Duke Thorne speaks of partnership, of ancient rights. I honor the traditions of Leo. I honor the houses that have bled for this land for generations." He turned his attention pointedly towards Marquess Varrus and his bloc. "And no house has bled more, nor stood more steadfastly for the integrity of Leo's borders and the strength of its armies, than those who follow the standard of Marquess Tiberius Varrus."
Varrus, who had been observing with his customary stoicism, straightened slightly. His eyes met Alexius's.
"Marquess," Alexius continued, his voice ringing with a sincerity, "you and your men understand the price of weakness. You understand that a divided command leads to disaster on the battlefield. Is the governance of a nation so different? If we present a fractured leadership, if the Crown is merely a puppet whose strings are pulled by a dozen different hands, how can we possibly hope to stand against the horrors of the Sea of Forests, or the machinations of the Kalian Empire, or the greed of the Republics. Even the patch of small kingdoms and city states to the South are finding weakeness to strike our Principaltiy. "
He stepped forward, away from his chair, closer to the assembled nobles. "I do not offer you easy promises. The path ahead is hard. There will be sacrifices. There will be difficult choices. But I offer you this: a Crown that is not afraid to lead. A Grand Prince who will not be a tool for any faction, but a rallying point for all who truly love Leo. I will rebuild our armies, not just the Royal Guard, but the provincial levies, ensuring they are well-equipped and loyally led. I will root out the corruption that bleeds our treasury dry and starves our people. I will seek wise counsel, yes, from this very body. But the final decision, the ultimate responsibility, must rest with the Crown. A strong Crown is not the enemy of a strong nobility; it is its greatest ally in ensuring the survival and prosperity of the realm we all serve."
He swept his gaze across the hall. "Some of you may still doubt. Some of you may prefer the familiar game of factional politics. But I ask you to look beyond your immediate interests. Look to the future of Leo. Do you want a Principality that is strong, united, and respected? Or one that is picked apart by internal squabbles until there is nothing left for the vultures?"
He held their gaze for a long moment, then concluded, his voice resonating with a power that surprised even himself. "I am Alexius Demetrios Leo. I am my father's son. And I will be your Grand Prince. I ask for your affirmation not as a plea, but as a call to duty. Stand with me, and let us forge a new destiny for Leo. A destiny of strength. A destiny of honor."
He returned to his chair, his legs feeling slightly weak, his tunic clinging to his back with sweat. The hall was utterly silent. He had laid his cards on the table. The System offered a quiet assessment: [Speech Impact: High. Neutral Bloc Sentiment: Shifting Positive. Traditionalist : Receptive. Valerius Faction: Unmoved, possibly agitated.]
Then, Marquess Tiberius Varrus clap in approval and rose slowly to his feet. Every eye in the hall fixed upon him.
"Your Majesty speaks well," Varrus began, his voice a low growl that commanded attention. "Words of unity, of military strength, of a firm hand. These are things Leo has sorely lacked." He paused, his gaze sweeping over his own faction, then towards Duke Thorne, and finally, with a look of undisguised distaste, towards Titus Cornelius.
"For too long," Varrus continued, "this Council has been a playground for the ambitions of the great Dukes, while the army starved and the borders frayed. We, the military houses, have paid the price in blood while others filled their coffers or squabbled over precedence."
He turned back to Alexius. "You are young, Your Majesty. That is true. But I have seen old men act with the folly of children, and young men rise to impossible challenges. You speak of rebuilding our strength. You speak of rooting out corruption. You speak of a Crown that leads. These are not the words of a boy to be managed by a council of self-interested guardians."
He drew himself up. "The House of Varrus, and those allied with us, have always served the Principality of Leo and its rightful sovereign. We see no wisdom in a Regent Council that would surely tear this nation apart before its enemies even strike. We see no honor in denying the legitimate heir his throne because he is not yet grey-haired."
He has decided. "Therefore, Marquess Tiberius Varrus and the houses of the Central League pledge their full support and fealty to Grand Prince Alexius Demetrios Leo! Let the succession be affirmed! Let Leo have its rightful ruler!"
A stunned silence, then a wave of murmurs and shouts. Varrus's declaration was a thunderclap. Several unaligned nobles, and even a few on the fringes of Thorne's faction who respected Varrus deeply, began to voice their agreement. The tide had turned.
Lord Titus Cornelius was on his feet, his face purple with rage. "This is madness! Varrus, you doom us all with your sentimentality!"
Duke Thorne also rose, a suprise expression on his face , perhaps a touch of distste that Varrus had stolen the initiative, but also undeniable relief. "The House of Thorne has already stated its position in favor of the rightful heir. If Marquess Varrus, a man of undisputed martial honor, also sees fit to lend his unequivocal support, then let this matter be settled."
The Valerius faction was in disarray, shouting objections, but they were being drowned out. The momentum was with Alexius. Lord Chamberlain Astolfo, looking pale but seeing the shift, banged his staff repeatedly for order.
"A vote!" someone cried. "Let us vote on the succession!"
The call was taken up by others. Alexius watched, his heart still pounding, but a grim sense of triumph beginning to dawn. He had faced them, spoken his truth, and a crucial ally had answered.
Titus Cornelius looked apoplectic. He knew, with Varrus and his 9%, plus Thorne's 43%, and the lower nobles who would now follow Varrus's lead, Alexius would likely secure his two-thirds. Even some of the nobles in his faction, especially military power houses are swayed by the words of Crown Prince and Lord Varrus.The path to a Valerius-dominated Regent Council was closing. Alexius saw the fury in the envoy's eyes, the desperation. It was the look of a man whose master was about to be outmaneuvered, whose schemes were crumbling.
And it was a dangerous look.
[System Update: Probability of Undisputed Succession via Vote: 85%. Warning: Valerius Faction agitation levels critical. Probability of unorthodox counter-measures increasing.]
The vote would happen soon, perhaps even before the day was out. But Alexius knew, looking at the rage on the faces of Valerius's strong supporters, that this victory in words might soon need to be defended with steel. (Continue....)