Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 202: The thought that started it all (1)

EDWARD MEROVICH

DARC, THE PALACE BALCONY

Edward was standing looking at the skies from his balcony and he sighed before saying

'The stormy sky' He had just finished the court meeting. He had noticed that the clouds piling up slowly since the morning

In the time since then it has piled up, looking dense and thick

The sky turns gray and thunderheads that looms above. Edward narrowed his eyes as he could feel the change in the wind and the feeling of coldness.

Then a thunderous roar could be heard.

With a booming thunder, the rain falls heavily and then another lightning shoot itself from the clouds, producing a white hot and blindingly bright, dispersing shadows for a split second.

Edward look at it as he moves himself away from the balcony, removing himself from the rain drops that is beginning to fill up in the balcony.

He then walks to his room, passing the darkly dim light stone hallways. He has returned to his Palace in Darc a week ago after the agreement is signed.

Edward had remembered what he had done during his drunken state.

Arial had quickly departed that night after he forced Harald to swear fealty to him. It must have been uncomfortable for Arial.

But thinking about it again, maybe it's not such a bad thing. Of course anyone would regard such promise as void but maybe not to the eye of the common folk.

Anyway, it has been done.

And maybe it is fitting. After all, the Vermont family has done much for him, more than the other lords of his Kingdom ever did for him.

One year at the castle of the dragons taught him much. Edward had to rely on his own wits as some of the nobles plotted against him and he even emulate the style of Arial, a dear friend to him now

Edward had learned at least some tricks of survival and diplomacy from his years as a relatively insignificant figure at a foreign court.

The exchange of status from refugee to king is rather sudden, but at least he already had some experience of the game.

Edward sighs as he passes another hallway. Thunder boomed on the outside and the rains become harder.

He stops for a while as he sees one of the candles in the hallways is snuffed out because of the turbulent wind.

There is darkness in front of him and the next candle seems like so far away. But the glimmer of its lights could be seen.

Edward walk on nonetheless even though the occasional thundering and lightning flashing sometimes startles him

He then thinks of other matters to keep his fears of the darkness to recede a bit.

He in the matter of his coronation also received the blessing of the Church, and both the Prince Articon of Vern and Cori were present at my coronation thanks to Arial great relations with both churches.

The anointing by both Bishop from both Church also strengthened his claim to the throne.

Considering Arial is patron of many churches his relation with the church has always been good. That is how Arial plays with power.

Edward had always admired about that with Arial

From what he knows of Arial, the young lord of Arrandy is not deeply religious. But that isn't meant to say he is someone that doesn't believe in a higher supreme power.

He believes in God but he is not sure whether the Church god is the real god. His decision to back the church is more about political means than a religious one.

Lord Arial takes advantage the influence that the Church have on the masses instead of making the Church his enemies.

The recognition of Vangua throne passed to Edward is also underlined by the presence at the ceremony of representatives from the king of Dostov, and king of Cori and King of Zettel but

Unfortunately, Renasia had to decline because of their ongoing campaign on Cora after annexing Tuca and Aetherland sending Arial as its representative.

The thunder booms again. Edward had reached the candles and he breathes a little bit easily.

He continues walking. His mind wander toward that day.

In the day of his coronation, he also brought some Caelum born nobles from Arrandy with him to assist him.

This idea came to him after seeing Arial govern his region. Edward must admit that he was impressed and he too wanted to build the same kind of region in his country. 

There is also some Priest and Bishops that Arial had hoped would be promoted to a good position in the vacant churches of Vangua and he send them to him.

The Central Church is of course overjoyed and this is how Arial maintained control of the Church approval.

Living among Anglais-Raxons people, Edward was utterly happy when reunited with his Caelum brethren in Arrandy as they teach him their customs and traditions.

They accept him and protected him. Arial, especially.

He had also brought Massey cousin, Robert to serve his military, and he also brought Silas cousin on his wife side Aleph.

Lord Aleph were granted some lands around Edward region to help fortify his position if the Orleans ever decided to mount another attack on him.

Arial advice on him does not fall to deaf ears. Some of the people Arial send to him either received lands from him or received appointments in the Church.

Of course, Edwards knows this would certainly create conflicts with the Orleans and the other nobles of his side but if he does not do this Edward knows that he would be overwhelm with the Anglais-Raxons lords that will surely pressure him to do their bidding.

As per Arial suggestion, Edward had married Lady Amelie Orleans, the younger daughter of the deceased Lord Jean.

This matter had bene talked about by him and Lord Arial during his time in Arrandy,

It was at that time that Arial had advises him to seek a common ground to satisfy Orleans and their ambition while biding time to strengthen his own base of power

At least with this measure, a stopgap measure admittedly, the Orleans will wait for an heir coming from Lady Amelie and him while he can plan for his steps.

Edward of course knows that the marriage is not entirely a pleasant experience for both of them and he was aware that he was older than her by seven years of age.

She is crowned as queen the moment he married her. Edward sighs as he come closer to his chambers.

Thunder booms again and the wind blows wildly outside the castle as leaves were spinning around in the air and some trees broke because of the wild wind

Edward sighed

No one is in a position to make him marry if he did not want to.

Not with the Vermont's, the dragon banner house backing him as Arrandy grown more powerful and wealthier with the trade route that is open between Zettel

There is also the news that comes to him from a trusted source that several noble houses in Vern is rebelling.

Something is happening there and if his intuition is right Lord Arial have something to do with it.

The Orleans might have think that they have managed to gain a modicum of trust by marrying their family with him, but only he knows that he would find it very hard to trust that family ever again

The marriage was his decision and his plan

The marriage is clearly intended to seal an alliance between him and Lord Harald, the lord of Arleans.

But surprisingly he found himself content with Lady Amelie.

Though, he never consummated his marriage with her. There is a reason for this matter.

Why should he consummated the wedding and gives what his enemies want him to do?

Edward know what Harald and his wife is planning on marrying him with Lady Amelie.

He might want their alliance but even he is not that stupid. They want the throne to pass to his offspring and the with their forces having a justification to take the throne by proxy.

He would not consummate marriage with the daughter of the man who killed his father. And Lady Amelie is content to sit at his feet, to become a loyal companion.

Rather than a wife, Edward treated her like she is his own daughter.

And Lady Amelie herself does not loathe him. They usually spend some time playing cha'tur and reciting poetry.

But he had never touched her and she didn't hate their weird relationship either.

Edward walk on and then he reaches his room.

The guards salute him as the guards opens his door and he enters and sat down on his bed

He sighed as he sat down on his bed. He closes his eyes as he remembers about what had transpired today.

Today another conflict between him and the Orleans arose.