Chapter 154: An Ending of a Dynasty?

- Abelis Academy City, Outside Party Venue, Several Hours Later - Rose's POV –

The rest of the event passed with almost no other problems; we had a minor problem with the catering service being harassed by some local nobles, but the issue was resolved quickly with a few well-placed words and Annabelle threw out the offending party for the inconvenience. Our actions today likely had earned us a few enemies, especially among the more elitist faction, but most of those had already been enemies of our family to begin with. The most important part of the night, and the thing that Auntie had intended to accomplish, was that we showed our ability in a concrete way. We’d likely gained far more support from the neutral faction than the support we’d lost from the other factions. So, job well done?

[Well, that went both better and worse than I had expected.] - Karen

[Yeah, honestly, I’d fully expected the reaction of that spoiled brat but what was surprising was how little support she got from the nobles. They looked downright hostile even.] - Rose

[Yeah, either your family has a lot more support than you thought, or your maid did a great job filtering out the truly antagonistic groups. At the very least there was very few openly racist groups.] - Karen

[Not exactly a high bar, is it?] - Rose

[This world is not Earth, Rose. How do you think humans would react to monsters? To the other races? To you and me? Honestly, I think this world is much more accepting than ours would be.] - Karen

She had a point. Yeah, this world had issues with racism and tribalism but the biggest difference between Earth and Miscalis was that no single group was powerful enough to fully subvert the delicate balance between the various races. Unlike Earth, one group didn’t have enough power to overturn an entire continent. And there were far too many races for the same kind of industrialized slavery as Earth had in the past. The Church had obviously attempted to do so but they’d been pushed back every time and, while they had a large following among humans, their numbers weren’t enough to overpower everyone around them.

When I’d first heard that humans existed, I’d thought that they’d be the largest group of sentient beings in Miscalis. At least in fiction, that was a trope that existed almost ubiquitously. But I’d quickly learned that, while humans were definitely a large group, they weren’t the largest. It was a bit contentious as to which group was actually the largest but most agreed that it was either the various Lamia groups or the beastmen. Although the contention was whether the various types of beastmen were actually related to each other so my own race was considered the largest single group on the continent. It could have also been the Elves, and their various groups, now that I knew that the Succubi were also related. Either way the Church certainly had enough forces to overpower a single country, definitely even a few, but my own was generally fairly evenly matched with theirs and, with the coalition between allied states, the wars between the two large powers had generally been tipped away from the Church itself.

Although that’s only as long as the various allied groups stuck together.

[I highly doubt that the nobles reaction is because they were accepting me. It seemed more like that Manchen brat did something to antagonize them to me.] - Rose

[Maybe so but instead of overanalyzing what the nobles might or might not have been thinking we should be doing something more fun.] - Karen

[F-Fun? W-What ever could you m-mean?] - Rose

[I mean this.] - Karen

The sudden change of topic panicked me. Somehow, in the course of our discussion, the cute slime girl had gotten far closer than I’d initially thought. Nearly face to face with me I closed my eyes in anticipation only to not feel the expected kiss. Instead, my warm hand was grabbed by her pleasantly chilly one. Compared to mine her skin was extremely pleasant to touch and served to distract me from the coming contact.

Only, it didn’t happen.

[H-Huh?] - Rose

[Will you dance with me? I-I mean I know we did do that already but somehow it feels more intimate like this. Or more like we’re m-married?] - Karen

[M-Married?!? Oh um, yes?] - Rose

Marriage?!? I mean yeah, I guess we had our previous life together, so it wasn’t really rushing but somehow the marriage discussion sent my brain into overdrive while it attempted to reboot the stalled processes.

Karen had never been the clingy type, her previous life’s experience mostly being a long string of one night stands and no serious effort. Even from the outside I’d known that she was afraid of commitment. It was even one of the reasons I’d been so careful about rushing into a relationship in our current lives, I’d wanted to make sure that it was special rather than turning into a long orgy that eventually lost its luster.

But somehow, she’d turned that around and was suddenly discussing marriage?!?

[Right so... uh... music?] - Rose

[O-Oh umm...] - Karen

Interrupting our fumbling, the sound of music wafted over the garden we were currently spending time in. Somehow, in our distracted state, the band that I’d thought gone home, had started playing a light melody from inside the building we were currently outside of. A quick look towards said building saw Annabelle leaving it so she’d definitely had something to do with it...

[Well, I guess that answers that...] - Karen

[I-I guess it does... umm...] - Rose

[R-Right. Ahem! May I have the honor of this dance Lady Rose?] - Karen

[Pfft! You certainly can.] - Rose

Cute.

I know she hammed that up on purpose but somehow the way she did it tugged at my heart strings regardless. Was this what love was like? It was so different from anything I’d experienced before so I wasn’t sure but somehow even the smallest interactions with this wonderful woman moved me. Her little quirky enthusiasm for science, her tomboyish excitement when it came to exercise and fighting, her nervousness when it came to relationships that was so different from her dominant confidence when it came to sex. All of these MADE Karen. All of these made the woman I loved.

- Twin Cities of Geminus, Northern City, 3 Weeks Later - Queen Laura's POV –

After my niece’s revelation of her status for all to see I’d moved quickly to capitalize on her new cover story. We’d planned to reveal it much later in an indirect way, but this happenstance had made such a thing unnecessary. This was both opportune and beneficial as well as being not ideal. On the positive side the way it had been revealed was free from suspicion, in any of our planned opportunities some among our detractors would grumble of how beneficial such information was, that it was too coincidental for such information to be revealed just to quell rumors of secret identities. Because of this incident it was impossible for such claims to be taken seriously, it was too obvious, to all present, that it had not been planned. To be honest, this was not entirely true, we’d gotten whisperings that the Serpanis and Manchen Branch Family had gotten ahold of something like the Truth’s Eye, but such rumors were sparse, and the Black Guard had been unsure. What WAS clear was that the Ducal House had much more going on than had initially been assumed. To start with we’d lost a few of our Black Guards to an unseen, and unknown, enemy. Several of our spies had vanished while on their missions and they were assumed dead because of evidence found onsite. Because of the circumstances, and the seeming ignorance of the Duchess, it was highly unlikely that even the Serpanis family knew of their deaths. Which meant that it was the actions of an outside party, one that was skilled enough to not only eliminate fully trained Black Guard but do so in such a way that they remained unnoticed. As of now we still had no clues to their identities, but we’d captured an assassin that was clearly involved in the plot when he’d tried to tie up the loose end that was the Manchen Branch Family heir.

Getting back on topic, the negatives of my sweet Rose’s status being revealed so early were clear to see to everyone.

[Don’t bother resisting, we have enough evidence to eliminate your family entirely. Give up quietly and we’ll be lenient.] - Queensguard Miriam

[How dare you commoners lay hands upon me! Don’t you know who I am, I demand answers!] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[Give it up sister, it’s obvious something went wrong. Better to fight this in court than make things worse for us now. Isn’t that right, Your Royal Highness?] - Duchess Yoko de la Manchen

[Ha?!? Y-Your Royal Highness!?! I had no knowledge that you would be visiting us. May I ask what exactly these restraints are for?] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[Oh, I would have been more than happy to enlighten you, but I believe you have a guest that wants to speak with you first.] - Queen Laura

[Well, hello my foolish children, look what you’ve gotten yourself into now.] - Former Duchess Alice de la Serpanis II

[M-Mother?] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[Mother! I was told that your illness had taken a turn for the worse, have you recovered?!?] - Duchess Yoko de la Manchen

[I’m well enough to be aware of your stupidity. Did you really think that direct confrontation was the best way of dealing with your suspicions? Why didn’t you consult with me before doing something so foolhardy?!? Kof kof kof!] - Former Duchess Alice de la Serpanis II

Before coming to arrest the two foolish Duchesses we’d first gone to the villa where their mother was convalescing. She’d backed out of managing her family many years before due to illness and her two daughters took up her mantle, each taking management of one of the Twin cities and the surrounding territory. They were, legally speaking, not technically both Duchesses but I’d given the go ahead for them to have equal status when I’d been informed of their mothers illness. Even so, as far as inheritance was concerned, only the primary family would have been allowed to inherit the Ducal station, the new branch family being of lesser status technically.

The Serpanis Matriarch, extremely aged by this point, had removed herself from politics entirely, barely taking notice of the goings on outside of her villa she’d not even realized that her daughters had taken an action comparable to a declaration of war against the eternal rivals of the Serpanis family. Fortunately for them, we’d captured the one responsible for most of the trouble, otherwise they’d have been executed on the spot of such an action.

The older Alice, immediately realizing the severity of their actions as soon we informed her of current events, had requested to be present during the arrest despite her still quite poor health. Even now her advanced age was making things difficult for her as her anger triggered a fit of coughing, the two Duchesses immediately rushing to assist her.

If nothing else, they cared for each other at least.

[Please calm yourself mother!] - Duchess Yoko de la Manchen

[Please mother! We don’t want you getting worse! How could you bring her into this?!? If you want to arrest us, fine, but leave her out of it!] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[While I would normally chastise you for your tone, I’ll be magnanimous considering the circumstances. Besides, I hadn’t planned to involve her at all, only to inform her of my decision. She insisted however, and I could find no reason to ignore her request. Beyond that however, you have another two family members here to see you, two that you so foolishly involved to the detriment of their futures.] - Queen Laura

[Come on, come forward.] - Queensguard Miriam

[Alice...] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[Minerva, you’re safe...] - Duchess Yoko de la Manchen

The children of the two Duchesses, temporarily allowed on leave from the Academy. Despite their age the two of them had been complicit in this entire plot, one of them more than the other, which we’d consider, but both had at least known what was planned even if they were too young to realize the consequences of their actions fully.

The two mothers, realizing who I’d brought forward each had varying reactions to seeing their daughters before them, free but obviously not out of danger yet. The calmer of the two was also the one that I’d heard was harsher with her child, more standoffish and less loving. When I’d been told of the rumors, as well as witnessed interactions I’d initially been disgusted but it hadn’t been my place to interfere, despite my station it was up to parents how they’d raise their children, and I had no intention of getting involved in their floundering relationship. This recent event, however, had shifted my responsibility’s greatly.

[Mama... I nearly died- hic –I was so scared!] - Minerva de la Manchen

[Oh, my poor baby, Mama’s so sorry. I’ll take fu-] - Duchess Yoko de la Manchen

[Queen Laura de la Anguis I take full responsibility for the actions of both of our children as well as those of my sister, as the elder I forced her to take part in a plot that she was unwilling to participate in. As the primary conspirator I accept any punishment you deem appropriate. Just... please... please leave my family out of it? Please?] - Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III

[M-Mother?!?] - Alice de la Serpanis IV

Now this was a surprise, all indications had certainly pointed to the elder of the two siblings being the one that had initiated the plot certainly, but I’d never expected her to admit to such, especially in such a self-sacrificing way. From our initial investigation we’d asserted that the Duchess pair had met with an outside force, likely sent by the Church, that had revealed some truths and half-truths about the Amchier family, and my lovely niece in particular. We’d taken testimony from a servant that had overheard the conversation on the condition that he remain anonymous.

Of course, it was true that my beautiful niece is related to the Demon Lord, somehow, such a story should have raised innumerable questions from the part of the two new Duchesses. The fact that they’d taken it at face value and, even more, acted upon it so openly, disqualified them in my eyes, however. Regardless of the truth of the matter, the way they acted was untenable and it would only serve to destabilize my nation if they were allowed to remain in their station.

As such judgement had to be meted out.

[Duchess Alice de la Serpanis III, Duchess Yoko de la Manchen! I sentence you to be stripped of your stations and place you in the custody of the Former Duchess Alice de la Serpanis II and any officer she believes necessary for your incarceration. I furthermore appoint your daughters Alice de la Serpanis IV and Minerva de la Manchen to your former positions with a regent appointed by myself until such time as they’ve grown enough to inherit your duties. Until that time, you shall remain under house arrest subject to review upon their successful inheritance. With the authority of my station as Royal Highness of the Anguis Empire I declare your noble title forfeit!] - Queen Laura

A lenient sentence if one were to actually consider what the two of them nearly started but one that would put their children in a good position to take over their territory. However, in reality I had little choice but to do so considering the chaos that would spread if I were to dissolve the Serpanis Ducal House entirely. I’d played around with the idea of promoting a lower ranking noble house to the position, or even dividing the territory between the remaining two Ducal families but had decided that neither was ideal. For the first possibility I had a few candidates, but none fit the requirements enough for formal consideration. All of them were either too small or weak to successfully incorporate such a large amount of territory and manage it in a way that wouldn’t require constant supervision by either myself or one of the other two Ducal Families. Which led to the second option of splitting the territory in between the friendly houses. A much better choice, at least on the surface. Both families controlled wide swaths of land already and both were friendly with each other as well as with the crown itself so ostensibly such an action would have been ideal. Unfortunately, the logistics of splitting such a massive amount of the Empire between two houses would also force the balance of power away from the Royal family, my family, and that was unacceptable. While it was unlikely that either of the current Ducal houses would ever be antagonistic towards my family it wasn’t a guarantee that such a stable relationship would continue indefinitely and facilitating a three-way power struggle would only hurt the longevity of my Empire in the future. After giving thought to these possibilities, I went through many more lesser options before finally landing on the current policy.

To be honest, I’d been initially very reluctant to allow the two heirs to inherit their positions as planned. I’d heard very little of the Serpanis heir but what I’d heard of the Manchen heir hadn’t endeared me to the idea. At least until I met them. The Manchen heir, obviously humbled by her recent failure and near brush with death, had significantly calmed down from her reported arrogance. She seemed to even be taking cues from her shyer cousin on what to do, frequently glancing at the nervous wreck of a child that was literally trembling in front of me. I’d only heard a small amount of what their relationship was previous to this event but from what I’d heard it had been exactly the opposite.

Seeing them like that, while it didn’t endear me to them, solidified in me the chosen position. I could have these two tutored correctly, outside the influence of their foolish mothers, to take their positions without dismantling the stability of our trading ports with the Western Continent. The Fae Lands sea route was an important source of revenue for the Empire and the thought of losing out on even a percentage of that wealth was unacceptable for the budget, especially with the upcoming conflict looming overhead. The only question was who to appoint as regent, hmm....?