Chapter 81: What if there’s another way?
(Inner conference room: )
"The prince is older, he has the claim."
"And so does the princess. People do not want the prince, it is her that they follow."
"Yes, however, if all start following an able successor over the legitimate one, there will be a rebellion happening every year."
"That still does not change the fact that the duke and the other powerful families will side with the princess. The east isn’t absolute. And the princess isn’t the kindest one either."
It was a known fact that the Princess of the empire was an ambitious woman who wanted to expand the empire further.
For that, she would go to war with the other kingdoms that are existing on the continent as well.
If the continent is conquered, she was planning to unify the whole world and take down the other powerful houses of the rest of the continents.
It wasn’t something that should be talked about when the emperor was still around, but she did not fear the critiques.
If anything, she admired the emperor for all that he had done for the people of the empire. But, the reality of this large nation was clear to anyone who would come here from a different state.
"The empire would not last another century under a peaceful rule."
The resources within the empire were not endless. If anything, there were natural disasters happening around the world and the empire wasn’t resourceful enough to sustain all the lives that were perishing.
If the prince had legitimacy, the princess had all the means to take away that legitimacy.
And the fragile emperor was aware of that fact.
Both of them were his offspring and he did not want either of them to fight each other till only one of them was alive.
He chose peace because the empire needed it, and if it is war that the empire needs right now, he would have to accept their fate.
"The emperor wished to hold a talk with both the parties. However, his health would not allow him to get out of his bed, much less hold a meeting of that scale."
Since his father had seen the emperor recently, those words were true. Yet, what would truth amount to if the one speaking it parishes overnight?
"The Sungrades should announce neutrality, father. This is not our fight." His eldest brother was speaking from a protective perspective.
If a war breaks out in this empire, the east would not be the first one to get involved in it. If anything, since the whole eastern region was so far from the central lands, the empire would have to spend a considerable amount of their resources to attack them.
However, if they do decide to force them into submission, a few fine tamers, perhaps a couple assimilators, would be enough to take down their city.
If the family fell, they would have control over their resources. And, they can achieve the same result by kidnapping any of them and asking for a ransome in return for their freedom.
If they were a great power of the empire, the crown still had many other powers under them.
It was neither the prince nor the princess that they needed to be worried about, it was the evil forces that were rising as usurpers.
"People are rebelling on lower levels, throwing their regional lords and village chiefs to establish a new chain of power. It is not the work of some common entity."
The first lady presented her concern.
The information that they received earlier about the uprisings in the west and north were not simple.
She was surprised by this, but after knowing what was happening on the larger scale, this did not seem impossible in any manner.
"A great number of masses want the prince to take the throne. He is favored by the people while the princess is favored by nobility. Choosing either side will put us in a complicated situation."
The reason the patriarch had pledged for the emperor instead of the crown was exactly because of uncertainties like these.
He had a way out of this whole ordeal, but, in the process, his people will have to suffer.
"So father, if we don’t take the princess’ side, we make the nobles our enemies and if we don’t take the prince’s side, we turn the common folks against us.
The strange powers rising in the empire aside, we are supposed to protect ourselves while staying within the laws of the empire?"
Flora was not liking this situation.
The empire was a duty and duty is a sacrifice.
They have made these sacrifices for generations. They had served the empire with transparent dedication. However, the situation right now did not seem to be worth that kind of sacrifice.
Logically, it would be better for them to stay out of this fight, however, seeing how they possessed one of the largest pieces of empty land, the most likely place that a large-scale war could be fought would be on the Sungrade soil.
And a war means long term damage, plunder, and disturbance.
Their alignment with one faction would yeald protection against war hosting, and their neutrality the opposite.
Following the princess faction would mean following the rebellious forces, and staying with the prince would mean a threat to the family itself.
So, what were they going to do now? What must they do to protect the prosperity they have maintained for all this time?
"We must not do that."
"If not that then what?"
"What we must do is clear, isn’t it?"
The arguments were flying left and right with Lady Markeet and Lady Emilia trying to speak in the favour of the family while the patriarch and Lady Isha considered the people of their land.
Lady Mililian spoke in favour of the princess while supporting her, Flora and Volcanus chose to side with the better odds.
Alex and little Mime were excluded from these discussions once again, but they were still the most important members of this family.
"Excuse me, m’Lord." In the middle of the heated conversation, the one who had been quiet since earlier finally spoke up with his new partner, the happy blue lizard sitting in his head.
"Can I speak with you privately for a moment?"
Since he was a little late, everyone was already gathered here in the discussion chambers.
They were waiting for his return since they obtained a message from the Elder Lady earlier this morning.
They knew he was done with his work at the sanctuary and that they were now returning to the family safely.
They were firstly stunned to see the changes that Sam had gone through, and the fact that this strange creature with him, according to the Patriarch, was indeed a Salamander, they were unsure of how to treat him.
They were avoiding him once again, but this time, it wasn’t negligence but hesitation.
Able avoided eye contact with him while Flora was a little anxious as she glanced at him.
Things were a bit awkward with him right now but he was finally joining the discussions regarding their family.
"Privately?" The question arose in Lady Mililian before the Patriarch’s eyes met him.
They did not understand why he wanted to talk with him privately, but, knowing the things that he had been doing and the surprises that he had shown to them until now, some of them had a common thought.
’Is there another way?’
’Can we do something else?’
’Is it possible?’
The nature of the question was the same even though it was asked differently.
Was there another angle that they weren’t thinking about? Can their family survive without choosing a certain side?
It wasn’t a small question. And the one who had raised this question within them all, was not looking at any of them but the one who would make the final decision regarding their future.
"Very well then."
The patriarch was curious as well.
The child that he had neglected all this time had shown him the biggest surprises in the last few months.
He had become a completely different person, but, if he knew a way out of this ordeal, not just him, but the entire Sungrade would be indebted to him.
The question is... what exactly is so important that he must discuss it only with him, the Sungrade Patriarch.