Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 227: The marriage (2)

HELIA ALTHEA

She is waving at the crowd from the carriage while Arial is in front riding his famed Firebringer and wearing his rubies armour waving to his subject smiling.

It is a grand spectacle to impress the common folk and to show the wealth of the Vermont family to the nobles and Kings.

She kept waving while looking at her husband in front and thinking what this marriage will bring to their duchies.

She loves him and she knows he knows that too

But she is a lord's daughter and as such the people of her father duchy are her people too. Arial knew as she knew that their union will strengthen both families, politically, financially and militarily.

It is good that the desires of their hearts coincide with political strategy as he said to her before they stand in the church a few hours ago.

Her parent is Helve Althea formerly Zephyr, now he is Duke Helve Althea ruling the region of Althea and she is the daughter of Adeliza, daughter of a common lady.

Her father was the vassal of Lord Henry Palais before the formation of the Kingdom and now he is the vassal of the King of Aetherland.

Because her mother is of common stock, her father had to suffer when he was young

He was demoted, a demotion of status from rightfully inheriting a duchy was hindered by the fact he married a common folk which is why he was denied the rest of the South by his father, and her grandfather, Duke Herlia.

The South at that time then divided into many of the relatives of the Duke, the Blacktons, the Whitetree, the Ormonts, Aldness, Lonne and so many others.

Her father, then through conquest took some land near the west south of the border and then expands from there.

During the incursion of the House of Palais her father backed wisely the House of the Dragons and were reinstated by her now current father in law, Lord Aries Vermont to majority of the lands in the South, creating a duchy of his own called Althea.

Even though there is a taint in reputation her father for betraying Lord Alderam, he has proved himself to be an able ruler, and his bloodline stretches to King of Vangua rulers of Old. 

King Philip the great ancestors of King Edward and King Edward father share the same bloodline of the House of Zephyr who rebelled and was exiled and accepted by the House of Alan at the time.

But while some people forgotten about this one tidbits of history, her family has never forgotten of their kingly line.

The ancestor in question is King Philip who has been blessed with numerous progeny of gifted sons and daughters.

Which resulted in the divisive land on the South at the current state only to be united when Aetherland formed a Kingdom.

Helia could trace her descent from impressive stock. This would surely help her husband, who came from a merchant family to not lose out in front of Kings and Old Nobles.

Helia know what nobles of great nobility descent, true nobles as they termed it, for she is also a part of, said about her husband in secluded corners and in dark places.

They might not dare to say it in front of her husband face fearing for his temper and they all know how powerful the young lord of the Vermont family really is and the might he possesses

The might of the Vermont is acknowledged by all, but they always undermine her husband for the inferiority of her husband position which in no way related to any nobility of any renown and owed much of their title to King Adrian appeasement policy to the dragon family.

Helia family has the most distinguished lineage of any non-royal house in the continent.

Her father's male forebears had been counts of the region near Sea Worth and the south since the ninth century and were descended from the great King Phillip, founding father of the Vangua and who is descended from Hippolia and Aresh both legendary figures.

Helia grandfather Lord Herlia had married the third daughter of King Dalfred the Greatan alliance with Raxon blood that would prove useful to her family position in both Dostov and the northern borders of Vangua which is populated by many Raxons.

She herself is related to most great nobility of Vangua, a connection which drove many noble lords of northern lord's in Vangua to try to win her hand, and even before her betrothal with Arial she has received countless proposals from many suitors.

With her illustrious lineage, Helia know that she is a great prize in the international marriage marketeven more so given the immense strategic importance of the duchy in which she was born.

Helia knew how important she was in determining diplomacy a long time ago.

Althea is a thriving center of commerce and culture, owing to the trade with both the south and north and with her marriage with the Vermont's, Althea is also possessing a military power unprecedented in the history of the region by relying to the Vermont.

But in contrast to Arrandy, there is no bustling urban center, and the towns that did exist were small, with rudimentary buildings and not as high as the building in Acro.

'Wave, Helia' Arial said as he slowed his horse and came back to her carriage, looking at her listless face.

He strokes her cheek and the crowd cheers. He smiles and said to her

"Not long now" he gives a kiss to her cheek and ride in front again to wave to the crowd

And Helia looked in front of her. She smiles her most charming smile and waved to the inhabitants of the city.

Most of the people coming to see the wedding is wearing clothes that if it were sold could feed one family in Althea.

Such is the wealth and excess that the people of Arrandy have.

Their common people wear such comfortable clothes and their food is rarely a problem.

Even the poor usually will be given donation by the Vermont family wealth and their nobles who mostly came from trader's work.

Their law and peacekeeping effort is also praised, thus making Acro safe for traders and visitation.

Their army in peacetime acts as the guardian of the city hunting any bandits and lawless criminals, who by the law of her husband, decree that any bandit's belongings, by law will be divided between the people who managed to dismantle them, thus hunting bandits become kind of a sport among the army.

This invites fear in criminals to come here to Acro.

While Althea passage right which stipulated gold to pass from the border of Althea to enter the South, or the South who want to traverse to the north, Althea in Helia childhood is a lawless area and uprising among the noble families there is common considering they are all related, the matters of lands and inheritance is a big deal down there

The Blacktons with the Whitetree, the Ormont with Aldness, The Three brothers of the Stream always fighting against each other for the supremacy in the South.

Of course her fathers at that time have to swear fealty to the mighty Lord Henry at the time, thus securing his protection from the Ormont and Aldness.

It is at this time her father improves the conditions in Althea.

And he did it through trade. Almost like the same as her husband way, though her husband is more renown because of his military achievement better than his acumen in trading.

Because of the protection of House of Palais, the textile industry became particularly successful, thanks to imports of wool from Vangua and Vern.

Her father, commissioned the building of new roads and canals to stimulate the growth of trade both within and outside Seaworth at the time.

Before long, he had amassed more wealth than any of his predecessors.

This dramatically improved standards of living among his subjects, particularly within the major urban centers.

Handsome stone houses replaced the ramshackle wooden dwellings of former days, and the citizens also benefited from the dazzling array of exotic goods that arrived into the county at the time from far-flung corners of the continent.

And then the war came and her father choice has granted him the duchy around the South, vassal of King Adrian, and father in law of the dragon.

Helia sighed a bit as she come out from her recollection. She noticed that this parade is nearly over.

Afterward, they made a leisurely progress throughout Arial domain over which she is now duchess.

Arial is keen to show off to her his prosperous region. And she herself is eager to see the land in which her husband was brought up.

The rivers and the forest where he had his adventures and the gossip of his misdemeanor, stories that Kyle would gladly told her, if she pressed.

Suddenly she looks at Kyle in the back of the carriage. Kyle looked a little sullen during the wedding ceremony even though he has brought some girl.

She just advises him to not fiddle around with the girl honour and reputation.

Weirdly enough even Lisa is sullen even though she is accompanied with West. Helia heard the story from her mouth.

West kisses Lisa during the war in Dented Shield, during that time. And she does not know how to respond.

Lisa said she is conflicted. Which she takes as a confession, that Lisa has kept someone in her heart.

She shakes her head and focus at the task at her hands. She waved again this time more enthusiastically.

Everywhere she went, she is greeted with great level of enthusiasm and tokens of affection by her new subjects and is very well served

She is honored beyond measures in the parade.

The inhabitants of the city are determined to celebrate her new arrival as the wife of the Duke. The wedding also greatly enhanced her husband's international profile.

That day they spent the day touring around the city while they are showered with praises and prayers of well-being.

Then as they both arrived at the castle they finally begin their first day as man and wife.

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