Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 164: The secret meeting

HARALD ALAN, LORD OF AQUITANIA, 1015 FALLMONTH

ARLEANS CASTLE

The year is 1015 Fallmonth. two months have passed since Harald is in Vangua. Harald look around him and calm his heart as his face betray none of his emotions.

The elderly Lord Jean is seated on his cushioned chair woven with beautiful fabric, in a secret conference with Lord Pierre Bascogne and with him, Harald, now the Lord of Aquitania after being conferred the title by Lord Jean a few days ago in a grand ceremony

This past month his father in law has unified the rebelling lords under the Vangua crown. But still the King position is not yet determined.

Lord Jean sits in the chair, pale, full bearded and tired. He is wearing his blue robe and he is here today to announce a matter of grave importance.

He then was escorted to the bed as they all sit around his bed

This sudden announcement is no doubt related to the condition of his health nowadays. He has been shot with a poison arrow in the Ryons area.

And now as he surely knows his life is about to end. And everyone here knows what he wants to talk about.

He no doubt wanted discuss the line of the succession. Lord Jean has no male heir and thankfully he has married Emilia a few weeks ago.

The poison has been dispelled but his body has grown weaker. Harald sighed as he thinks of his wife. His relationship with Emilia is a weird one.

They may not love each other like any other couple but their relationship is cordial and amiable and maybe someday that feeling between them will develop into love.

But for now, with the imminent death of his father in law, there are many matter to handle and plan.

And Harald is lucky to have a woman like Emilia by his side helping him. He looks at Lord Jean and he frowned.

One of the many matters that Lord Jean is still handling is the matter of the kingdom.

The state of affairs in Vangua right now is not.peaceful to understate the matters

With the rebellion and revolts uprising all over the lands and peasant asking the King to return and the nobles blaming the Orleans family for their part in forcing the King to flee, Arleans and its surrounding areas are in grave danger of being taken by other lord.

Lord Pierre Bascogne has sworn fealty to Lord Jean a long time ago, and he is great friend of the family.

Harald was already informed by Emilia about what is going to happen today.

Harald since his arrival in Vangua, he has been helping consolidating the Orleans power in Vangua using his knowledge and experience in the previous war to benefit the Orleans family goals.

There are a lot in his mind right now. There is the Hooded Man he sent to Acro, then there is also the matter of the succession of this duchy.

Emilia has persuaded her lord father to give the land to him, and they decided that they will rule it together, side by side.

She may not be the most beautiful woman, but her talents in politic only rivaled that of Harald own grandfather.

With the support they receive from other Anglais-Raxons lords the Orleans has become quite predominant more than before.

But even before, the Orleans family has held many clouts in the administration. Harald racked up contribution as he has been campaigning in the South against the Loths and the Etrushk and the Leof.

Harald have made quite a reputation for himself as a formidable entity and he is loved by the high society because of his noble and heroic lineage that could be traced back to Alan Gerhardt.

He has been campaigning against a Lothian King who try to secede from the Kingdom.

Aided by Lord Pierre Harald returned to Arleans in triumph, presenting the Lothian King head to Lord Jean.

Maybe in that moment, to Lord Jean eyes, Harald seem to be a worthy successor and instead of next year, he quickened the marriage dates so last week Harald was finally married to Emilia with all the splendor that the household can afford.

Surely, by now the Vermont's have finally know where he is. Before he can hide under obscurity but now?

He doubted that.

But even though Arial, now Prince Arial, a title conferred by Aetherland King, his uncle, knows he is here, he will not be so stupid to come across and bring his army here, not when they have just return home from a long and taxing war.

'Harald' the tired lord gestured to him. He stoops towards him and speak to him with low voice.

Their forefingers touch. And then he looks at him with an enigmatic silence. He knows his time is near and Death is calling.

Lord Pierre also knows that and he know why he is here, on one of the last moment of the great patriarch of this household.

This meeting, this secret meeting, at this moment, whatever the outcome, will set in a motion, a chain of events that would change history.

Succession did not solely depend on who had the closest kinship, though this is of course a persuasive factor.

'I am dying' and his word broke the nervous silence. Harald nodded calmly. Lord Pierre nodded and close his eyes as he sighs softly

Then Lord Jean turns to his old friend and said

'I summon you here Pierre because I will ask you to swear fealty to the next lord of Arleans, my son in law Harald Alan. May you find him to be a generous and wise lord. Do you swear it?'

Lord Pierre looked at Harald and then he looked back at Jean and he nodded.

'I swear it by my honour and I bear witness to his lordship over me.'

'Good.' He smiled and then coughed a little. The poison is weakening him.

'There is a reason I called you here other than to swear fealty. The throne of Vangua.'

And they both looked at each other.

'You will take it for my family' Lord Jean pointed his finger at Harald.

'Father- in law I-'

'You will take it for my family!' he insisted

The he coughed again but he added

'Now give me a suggestion how you can take it under the watchful eyes of the other lord.'

Harald nodded and then he gives Lord Jean some ideas and suggestion and Pierre also contributes but none of the solution presented could be flawless

There is always something not right with the plan.

If they take the throne without a justifiable cause, they will be looked down upon but not taking it will only increase the instability in the Kingdom.

Even now some lords are even thinking of seceding from the Kingdom to form a petty Kingdom.

Then Harald got an idea. He quickly suggested it

'Then how about this, my lord? Create a council from the lords, the great and the powerful in the lands and let them reach major majority as to who they chose the next King. Using the council as a pretext, no one can blame us taking the throne. We could claim that it was a duty imposed on us.'

'How are you sure the lords will choose us?' Lord Jean asked

'How can they not? Your house is one the richest and powerful. They would be stupid to defy your house.' Lord Jean nodded and smiles.

'Yes this can work.'

'How about the King?' Pierre asked.

'The King has run away. If anything he is a coward.' Lord Jean nodded again and smile.

Lord Pierre also nodded enthusiastically. Then under the darkness of the night they hatched their plots for the throne of Vangua.

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Small info.

Vern now is not the Vern in past. In the past Vern capital is situated in Vangua before the Divide where they moved to Eastiana and named it Vern for the namesake of the Empire.

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Some of you do not know but this arc is slowly going to shape a new larger adventure for Arial. Nothing will make sense that much until all of it is revealed to you.

And there will be not be many chapter for this mass release since I already release a mass release in the middel of the month. But I promise to write a lot more chapter for the next month