Ch#219
The murmurs filling the hall grew even more intense.
As if oblivious to the chaos, the Grand Duke tilted his glass. The Chief Chamberlain, who had been staring intently at him, threw out a probing question.
“Do you have a specific daughter in mind?”
“Must I decide every little detail myself?”
The Grand Duke spoke indifferently as he set down his empty glass.
“The Northern Noble Alliance can select a candidate suitable to be the Crown Princess themselves.”
“If His Majesty grants his permission, we will begin narrowing down the candidates immediately.”
The head of the Northern Noble Alliance stepped forward as if he had been waiting for this moment.
The Emperor’s Chief Chamberlain remained silent for a while, stroking his chin. His gaze was calculating, weighing the gains and losses.
“At this moment, I cannot give you a definitive answer.”
“I don’t expect an immediate response. You only need to relay my proposal to His Majesty,” the Grand Duke said mildly.
The Chamberlain, looking displeased by that relaxed face, finally rose from his seat.
“Very well. I shall report the Grand Duke’s words to His Majesty exactly as they were spoken.”
It did not take long for the marriage discussions between the daughter of House Blestone and the Crown Prince to reach a conclusion. The Imperial delegation, too, felt an internal sense of crisis regarding the boiling public sentiment in the North.
They immediately sent messengers to the capital to seek the Emperor’s opinion, and it wasn’t long before a positive response returned.
House Blestone immediately spread this news throughout the North. It was a calculated move, hoping that the news of a future Empress coming from Valto would quell the anger of the Valto people.
The effect exceeded expectations. As soon as the news of the marriage talk spread, the heat of the civil uprisings simmering across Valto began to subside. This was also thanks to the Northern Noble Alliance mobilizing propagandists to manipulate public opinion.
Before long, the people of Valto began to accept the news of Lady Blestone’s engagement to the Crown Prince as a harbinger of peace. The current of peace, spreading like wildfire, isolated the rebel forces in an instant. The militias that had taken up arms against the Imperial Army began to disband one by one.
Now, the only forces remaining against the Empire were those in a few outlying regions of the North and the army of Bjorn Blodar Heimdal, entrenched in Yotengar.
“This is all thanks to Your Excellency taking the initiative.”
The second son of House Blestone, who had visited his barracks, spoke in a cheerful tone.
Considering he was soon to face his longtime ally as an enemy, his voice was unnervingly bright.
Varkas’s blue eyes, as he sat before the brazier oiling his weapon, flicked up toward the man.
The man, who had arrived at Yotengar leading the Northern Alliance forces, looked excessively neat for someone who had marched hundreds of miles. Varkas’s impassive eyes swept down the man’s shimmering armor and velvet cloak before returning to his work.
“I take it the engagement preparations are going well?”
“Smoothly so far. There is some pushback from certain nobles, but most of the heavyweights in the Imperial Central Assembly seem to view this marriage positively. A grand engagement ceremony will be held as soon as His Highness the Crown Prince returns with the army.”
The man replied with his characteristic leisurely tone and glanced at the crates piled near the entrance.
“Do you plan to return to the East, Your Excellency?”
“Orders have been issued for the Imperial Allied Forces to pull back to the rear as soon as the Northern Alliance Army arrives.”
Varkas rose from his seat, sliding his polished sword into its sheath.
“I plan to keep camp near the Yotengar mountain range for the time being, but we won’t be taking the lead in any further battles. Mopping up the remaining rebels is now the responsibility of the Northern Alliance.”
“That was the condition for Anistair to become the Crown Princess, so it cannot be helped.”
Letting out a small sigh, the man suddenly looked down at him with a serious gaze.
“In any case, thank you once again for your efforts in making this marriage happen. Thanks to you, the peace treaty seems likely to be signed without a hitch.”
“No need for thanks. I only pursued it because I judged there was a practical benefit for me as well.”
Varkas brushed off the man’s gratitude with an indifferent attitude, picked up his discarded coat, and stepped outside.
Beyond the densely packed tents and high barricades, the craggy, dark grey peaks rose sharply. After surveying the snow-covered ridges and the valleys nestled between them, he moved toward the outskirts of the encampment.
As he reached the edge of the barracks, he saw the Northern soldiers setting up their camp.
As soon as they established their base, he intended to lead his army to the southern end of the Yotengar Mountains.
From there, he could monitor the eastern outlying territories, including Tarlin, while remaining ready to respond immediately to the situation in the North. Above all, it was a distance of a little over ten days to Kalmor, so he would be able to receive news from Raedgo Castle more frequently.
Resting his arms on the fence, Varkas pulled a flask from his waist and wet his lips with strong wine. He wasn’t particularly fond of drinking, but at some point, he had begun to do so out of habit.
Feeling the searing heat slide down his throat, he let out a long breath.
Just then, the thunderous sound of galloping hooves mixed into the harsh, driving wind.
Wary that it might be a surprise attack, he stood on guard for a moment, only to frown as he spotted a cavalry unit in golden armor pouring down the northwestern slope of the mountains.
The main body led by the Crown Prince had been ordered by the Emperor to move to the southwestern region of Valto immediately. Why was the man who should be heading for Sevron appearing here?
He walked straight across the camp toward the checkpoint.
As he passed through the entrance, the figure of Gares Roem Guirta mounted on a golden horse came into view. Seeing his murderous expression, Varkas swallowed a sigh. It seemed he had ridden a long way just to unleash a tirade.
“Your Highness.”
As Varkas approached the front of the long line of cavalry and offered his respects, the Crown Prince leapt from his horse and leaned his head close to Varkas’s face.
“You look perfectly fine.”
Dark green eyes slowly scanned him.
Varkas could read a rage on the verge of exploding within those eyes. His lips twisted into a predatory smile, Gares added harshly:
“And here I thought your head had gone wrong as a side effect of being pierced by a poisoned blade.”
“I am deeply sorry to have caused Your Highness such concern,” Varkas replied dryly.
Gares glared at him as if he wanted to kill him, his jaw twitching. He whipped around toward the checkpoint entrance and growled.
“There are already rumors flying that things aren’t what they used to be between you and me. No need to pour fuel on that fire. Follow me. Now.”
He then strode across the barracks toward the large tent located in the center of the camp. Varkas followed silently behind him.
Once they were inside the tent, a large, bronzed hand with bulging veins grabbed Varkas by the collar. At the same time, breath like that of an angry bull poured over his face.
“I won’t even bother asking what the hell you were thinking when you pulled this stunt. Send a petition to His Majesty the Emperor opposing this marriage right now. Do that, and I’ll forgive you for acting on your own.”
“I apologize, but I cannot do that,” Varkas replied politely, gently prying the man’s hand away.
At that detached attitude, the veins on the Crown Prince’s bronzed neck bulged.
“Are you saying you’re defying me right now?”
“Yes, I am,” Varkas stated calmly, straightening his disarrayed clothes.
“This marriage is something His Majesty the Emperor has already granted. Even if I were to send a petition now, the chances of it being overturned are slim.”
“Don’t make me laugh! You’re the one who set this whole stage! Rumors are rife across the entire continent of Robiden that you volunteered to play matchmaker, so who do you think you’re fooling?!”
“I was certainly the one who proposed the marriage, but the entities that approved it are the Imperial Assembly and His Majesty. If this union had been judged to be of no benefit to the Empire and Your Highness, it would never have happened, no matter what schemes I played in the background.”
The Crown Prince’s face had moved beyond mere flushing; it was now a dark, bruised purple as if it were about to burst.
He let out a roar, violently kicking a cargo crate stacked on one side of the tent with his long, muscular leg.
“For my sake? Don’t give me that bullshit! You just want to end this war as quickly as possible! Do you think I don’t know you’re dying to get back to the East where that woman is waiting?”
