Chapter 470 - Titles

“Duke Valentino,” the emperor said, watching the man closely. “I presume you have considered your words seriously.”

“I would not dare utter them before you if I had not, Your Majesty,” Duke Valentino replied. “It is my opinion that Baroness Hartford’s accomplishment ranks among the greatest achieved by a single servant of the empire in generations. It would reflect poorly on our glorious empire, and upon Your Majesty’s honour, if we failed to reward it accordingly.”

“And your own connection to her plays no part in this?”

“None.”

“I see.”

The emperor gave a thoughtful hum. “Then I am to understand that you move for the Baroness’s elevation, and that you will set your name to the petition as her sponsor and surety?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The emperor looked between him and Scarlett.

Scarlett glanced at Duke Valentino, but the man made a point of not looking in her direction. Meanwhile, the nobles who had seemed pleased at the prospect of him speaking against her earlier now wore varying degrees of disapproval. None went quite so far as to show outright annoyance, but the disappointment was clear enough.

Finally, a severe-looking man with a neatly trimmed beard and an almost hawkish face stepped forward from among the gathered nobles. He sent Scarlett a brief look before turning his attention to the throne.

“Your Majesty, if I may be allowed to speak?”

The emperor motioned with one hand.

“I believe we should not be too hasty in this matter,” the man said, his voice carrying a certain austerity. “There are forms and offices through which any elevation to higher dignity must pass, and such decisions should not be made on impulse, regardless of Baroness Hartford’s accomplishments. Even I will admit to having held Duke Valentino’s judgement in regard on occasion, but I cannot help feeling that his personal confidence has carried him too far in bringing such a motion before Your Majesty without the proper examinations first being made.”

He lifted one hand to straighten the cravat tied around his neck, a black gem pinned at its centre.

“In addition, however much he may claim otherwise, it is irrefutable that the Duke’s previous connections to Baroness Hartford, and the controversies surrounding her, place his motivations under serious scrutiny. The elevation of a noble is not a matter to be guided by another’s private interest. It is foremost a compact between a servant of the Empire and His Majesty.”

Among the titled nobles, several nodded in agreement.

Though Scarlett imagined not as many as might otherwise have.

A fair number of them had likely kept up with the rumours circulating through the capital over the last few days. They might have a better sense of what was actually going on.

As for the man who had spoken…

Scarlett studied him.

Duke Hanwyn Roscoe of Darkshore.

He had been among those who opposed her and Duke Valentino during the conclave. Scarlett hadn’t exactly cultivated a good relationship with him since then, and everything she knew suggested he wouldn’t be unaware of the circumstances beneath the surface here. Still, his influence and standing were significant enough that there was little risk to him in objecting here.

Especially when his words held merit.

Another noble stepped forward.

This time it was an older woman in a pale blue gown, with silver-threaded hair pinned high and a composed expression that didn’t quite conceal the experience in her eyes. Scarlett recognised her as Countess Amelie Rotherhamo of Faybarrow, one of the people she had interacted with during the reception earlier.

The woman was known for remaining relatively neutral on most issues.

“It is true that Duke Valentino’s ties to Baroness Hartford warrant some scrutiny,” the countess said. “But what if I were to add my support to his motion?”

What most people here probably didn’t know was that she apparently also owed Lady Withersworth a favour.

Duke Roscoe frowned slightly at her.

From what Scarlett had heard, the countess’s granddaughter was married to his son, so there was a certain degree of connection between their houses as well.

“Even then,” the duke said, “the proper offices cannot be bypassed.”

Countess Rotherham simply inclined her head, acknowledging the point.

A brief silence followed before the emperor spoke again, his attention returning to Duke Valentino. “What do you have to say to this, Ingomar? Surely you considered the matter before stepping forward?”

The duke’s gaze shifted briefly to Scarlett. He concealed it well, but she could see the irritation there.

Duke Roscoe appeared to notice it too, and although he didn’t smile, Scarlett could tell he was satisfied with the reaction.

Then another voice sounded.

It came from noticeably farther down the chamber, among the ranks usually occupied by the lower titled nobles. As during the Elysian Proclamation, one’s position here was decided in large part by the order in which one’s house had sworn fealty to the crown.

But, as House Hartford itself demonstrated, position in that order didn’t always reflect influence.

And the older gentleman who spoke now had proven several times that he possessed considerably more influence than his title might suggest.

“If I may, Your Majesty,” Lord Withersworth said.

He stepped forward with one hand resting lightly at his side and an expression of complete calm. He wore dark formalwear, his hair combed to one side and his moustache curling slightly at the tips.

“We anticipated this issue when word of Baroness Hartford’s achievement reached us, Your Majesty. In the interest of prudence, as well as to spare Your Majesty unnecessary difficulty should the matter arise, we took the liberty of making certain preliminary inquiries into the forms attending such an elevation. I hope you will forgive our presumption. It was only our wish that, should Your Majesty wish to consider the matter, no question of procedure would stand in the way.”

He gestured towards several other men among the nobles. All were people Scarlett knew to be close associates of Lord Withersworth, and she had heard more than one snide remark about them from Lady Withersworth whenever the woman complained about her husband’s circle of gentlemen friends.

The emperor’s brows lifted slightly as he regarded Lord Withersworth. “And how far did these inquiries go?”

“Only so far as preparation allowed, Your Majesty,” Lord Withersworth said. “The Baroness’s descent, arms, and present style were reviewed through the Heraldic Council, along with the current arms of House Hartford and the styles and precedence to which an elevation would give rise. The Chancellery was consulted as to the form of the petition and the patent that would be required, and the rolls of the Chamber Court were reviewed for any pending claim that might touch upon the house’s title, lands, or succession.”

He inclined his head.

“No act has been taken in Your Majesty’s name. No seal has been affixed, and no dignity presumed. But the forms Duke Roscoe speaks of have not been neglected. They have been observed as far as they may be observed before Your Majesty’s pleasure is known.”

Scarlett kept her eyes on Duke Roscoe to see if he would object further, but he didn’t.

In fact, she doubted he knew what to say.

While most nobles were probably familiar with the general rules and laws that surrounded matters like these, Lord Withersworth had once served as Lord Marshal. Dealing with this sort of bureaucracy had practically been his job.

“There remain, however, two questions that could not be settled by inquiry alone,” Lord Withersworth continued. “The first concerns the nature of the dignity itself. House Hartford is old, and its title sound, but its present estate is not of such extent as would ordinarily sustain a higher territorial dignity.”

He glanced towards an older gentleman with a cane.

“Lord Montague can speak more precisely to that point.”

Lord Montague stepped forward, bowing first to Lord Withersworth and then more deeply towards the throne.

“Your Majesty,” he said. “As Lord Withersworth says, the difficulty is not whether Baroness Hartford may be elevated. It is how that elevation is to be framed. House Hartford’s barony is ancient and properly held, but its lands are not of such extent as to be erected into a county in their own right. Nor is there, at present, any neighbouring estate suitable to be joined to Hartford for that purpose. A territorial elevation would therefore be possible only by granting her some separate dignity elsewhere, and that would not be without inconvenience.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

His expression grew more severe.

“Ambercrest is the obvious example. Since Count Soames’s attainder, its disposition remains within Your Majesty’s gift. It would be a grant of sufficient weight, certainly, but I would not advise it. It is damaged, now partially unsettled, and tainted by the offences of its former lord. Its revenues are uncertain, its officers cannot all be trusted, and its people have already suffered enough disorder without being made the appendage of a distant house whose duties lie elsewhere. To grant it to Baroness Hartford would not be to reward her service, but to hand her a charge requiring decades of repair. In my judgement, Ambercrest should remain for the present under imperial administration, until its accounts are restored, its officers examined, and the consequences of Count Soames’s crimes settled in proper order.”

He paused briefly.

“In Baroness Hartford’s matter, there is a cleaner course. The Crown has precedent for granting elevation in personal dignity where the service rendered was exceptional and territorial provision was either unavailable or unwise. In such cases, the recipient is accorded the style and precedence of the higher rank, and the arms of the house may be augmented, while the patent makes clear that no new county, jurisdiction, or vote is thereby created.”

Lord Montague’s gaze moved briefly to Scarlett, then across the chamber.

“That does not mean the honour need stand alone. The dignity may be accompanied by a pension, a grant of revenues, additional rights of precedence at court, or other privileges customarily attached to such elevations. The Crown has long recognised that rank and authority do not always proceed from territory alone. The True Lords themselves are proof of that.”

His attention returned to the throne.

“In this case, a portion of the revenues recovered from Count Soames’s estate could be assigned to Baroness Hartford for a fixed term, while the patent accords her rank, precedence, and such privileges as Your Majesty deems appropriate, without placing Ambercrest itself in her hands.”

The emperor considered that for a moment.

“That does sound reasonable. But what of the second matter that you mentioned, Lord Withersworth?”

“I suspect Your Majesty may already be familiar with it,” Lord Withersworth said, “but in reviewing Baroness Hartford’s lineage and the older records concerning her house, I came upon a circumstance with which my own house is unfortunately familiar. It does not touch the validity of her title, nor the forms of the proposed elevation, but it does bear upon how House Hartford has been treated.”

He cleared his throat.

“Though I doubt many in this chamber are aware of it, my house once produced an abominable criminal by the name of Abelard. To this day, he remains our greatest shame, and one we have spent generations attempting to answer through service. It was only by the grace of Emperor Aldren that House Withersworth was permitted the chance to redeem its honour, rather than be condemned in perpetuity alongside him.”

Scarlett stared at the man.

She hadn’t expected him to openly declare his relation to a criminal like that.

Lord Withersworth met her gaze, his expression completely steady.

“Though the records of those days are so old, and have been so carefully amended, that the details cannot be plainly recovered, it is my understanding that Baroness Hartford’s house once stood in circumstances not unlike my own. There was a connection to a disgrace severe enough that the house might have been ruined by it, had imperial grace not intervened. Instead, its name was spared, and the matter was allowed to pass into silence. But absence from the rolls is not the same as absence from consideration.”

Surprised looks appeared around the chamber.

When Scarlett turned her attention to the emperor, however, she found him simply nodding along.

It seemed he was well aware of this.

Lord Withersworth faced the emperor again. “It would be within Your Majesty’s authority to extend that grace once more and, in light of the Baroness’s present service, declare any reservation arising from that old disgrace discharged. There would then be no remaining impediment, formal or otherwise, to raising her dignity. Though I should mention that, unlike the personal elevation Lord Montague has described, such a declaration would be without clear precedent.”

The emperor considered him, then focused on Scarlett.

Scarlett kept her expression neutral as she waited.

Many parts of today’s proceedings had been planned in advance, with their likely outcomes already quietly confirmed. This, however, was one of the few points where they didn’t know precisely how the emperor would respond.

“Baroness Hartford,” he said after some time, clasping his hands in his lap. “You have genuinely earned my respect through your accomplishments. Among my many loyal servants, I have found myself impressed by you more than once in the past year. I do believe you are a woman worthy of regard. However, setting aside the silent reservations of one of my predecessors, who no doubt allowed them to endure with cause, is not a step I am inclined to take lightly. So tell me. Is this something you yourself desire?”

Scarlett took a moment before answering.

Up until now, everything had gone as it should. Even this question wasn’t unexpected. Lady Withersworth had told her that the emperor would probably show some reluctance at first, but they expected him to agree eventually.

From here, Scarlett should simply stick to the script.

But…

She couldn’t quite say why, but a sudden impulse came over her.

“Your Majesty,” she said slowly. “If Your Majesty is minded to reward my service, would it be possible for me to decline the elevation itself, and ask instead that your grace be extended to the one whose disgrace first cast this shadow over my house?”

Her words brought what might have been the first sign of genuine surprise Scarlett had seen on the emperor’s face all day.

His eyes lingered on her for several seconds.

“Do you ask that knowing who they were?”

Scarlett lowered her head. “I do, Your Majesty. Her name was Arlene Hartford, though at the time she was better known by the moniker of the Red Witch of Destruction.”

From the sides, Scarlett heard several sharp intakes of breath.

Arlene’s title might not necessarily have been a household name anymore, but there would undoubtedly be those present who had heard of her. Save for Ustrum himself, Arlene had probably been one of the most powerful wizards the empire had ever produced.

Having witnessed the woman’s abilities herself, Scarlett felt confident in that assessment.

That was likely also part of why the empire had been so adamant in condemning her after she turned away from them.

Of course, asking for this here wasn’t exactly smart.

If Scarlett were Lady Withersworth, Evelyne, or anyone else who had helped arrange today’s proceedings, she would probably be annoyed. She was putting their plans at risk for something that would gain her nothing in rank, wealth, or position.

“Baroness Hartford,” the emperor said, a slight warning entering his voice. “You understand what you are asking of me?”

“I do,” Scarlett replied. “And I am aware that this request is presumptuous. Perhaps even offensive to some. However, it is my belief that Arlene Hartford was not judged with the full measure of what she was. The records remember crimes, whether real or imagined. They do not remember her compassion, her restraint, or the reasons that led her to act as she did.”

The emperor shook his head.

“I cannot pardon her,” he said. “Nor can I set aside the judgement passed upon her name. But I will exercise my discretion and not censure you for asking it.”

A faint disappointment settled in Scarlett’s chest as her gaze lowered to the steps before the throne.

She hadn’t truly expected him to do it.

It had been too much to ask.

Inwardly, she apologised to her old teacher.

“In that case, may I ask for something lesser, Your Majesty?”

“Speak.”

Scarlett raised her head again.

“Let her be entered into the records of my house once more. Not pardoned or absolved. Simply named. Let it be recorded that Arlene Hartford existed as a daughter of House Hartford, rather than as a stain so thoroughly cast away that even her place in our lineage was denied.”

The emperor stared at her.

“…Are you certain this is what you want?”

“I am.”

“It will do you no good. Do not forget that your forebears were shown extraordinary mercy in being permitted to sever their name from hers.”

“I am aware, Your Majesty. This one shall always remain a loyal servant of the empire, but I am nonetheless willing to accept this burden upon our name.” Scarlett was quiet for a moment. Then she straightened her back. “You have seen what I am capable of. I do not think that the name of one condemned traitor in our family records will be enough to hinder me.”

There was a brief pause.

Then a laugh escaped the emperor.

Beside him, both the crown prince and the second princess turned towards him in shock. Mistress also glanced his way before directing a mildly intrigued look at Scarlett.

“Very well.” The emperor raised one hand. “Her crimes and sentence will not be set aside, nor will her condemnation be withdrawn. But the woman once known as the Red Witch of Destruction shall be recorded by her true name, Arlene Hartford, and restored to the imperial rolls of House Hartford’s lineage.”

His gaze settled on Scarlett.

“I hope you do not come to regret this, Baroness.”

“I will not, Your Majesty. Thank you for your generosity.”

Scarlett could almost imagine Arlene’s voice chiding her for this. For placing importance on whether the empire recognised her at all. For giving up ground by insisting on tying herself to a name that everyone here would only regard with open derision.

But Scarlett found that she didn’t really care.

Arlene had done a lot for her.

At the very least, Scarlett could force the empire that had failed her to speak her name properly.

For that, she was willing to surrender some of her own standing.

The emperor settled back in his throne, now studying her with a faint, unreadable smile.

“In light of your feat, I will not hold this request against you in regard to the question of your elevation. However, given the circumstances, I believe it would be imprudent of me to treat this as a matter of my judgement alone. Fortunately, we are in a place where the sentiments of your fellow lords and ladies may be easily heard.”

He raised his voice, letting it carry across the chamber with renewed firmness.

“Who among you believes that Baroness Hartford has made herself deserving of higher dignity? Who is willing to stand for her, as Duke Valentino and Countess Rotherham have?”

A moment of stillness followed.

Scarlett glanced to her left, towards the rows of men and women gathered there, all watching her.

The first to speak was, to her surprise, Duke Tyndall.

“I see no cause to deny her, Your Majesty.”

Scarlett almost blinked.

Lady Withersworth had sounded out dozens of nobles ahead of today, but Duke Tyndall hadn’t been among them. Lady Withersworth had sent some letters, but she had thought it very unlikely that he would involve himself. Scarlett had even spoken with Beldon Tyndall about it while discussing some of the preparations Mirage had helped her with, and he had expressed much the same doubt about the likelihood of his father’s support.

With Duke Tyndall’s words, though, it was as if the floodgates had opened.

Noble after noble spoke up, both those Lady Withersworth had drawn into this beforehand and some she had not. Before long, what should have been a petition supported primarily by allies had become the open assent of at least three-quarters of the gathered nobles.

For something like this, that was more than enough.

The emperor allowed the voices to continue for a short while longer, watching the nobles who offered their support.

“So be it,” he finally said. “The motion for Baroness Hartford’s elevation will be entered into formal consideration, with Duke Valentino as sponsor and surety, and with the assent of those who have spoken here today. Until the necessary instruments have been examined, drawn, and sealed, no final dignity shall be presumed.”

His gaze settled on Scarlett again.

“However, service already rendered need not wait upon the forms of service yet to be rewarded. By my authority, I grant Baroness Scarlett Hartford the style and honour of Revenant Flame of Graenal, to be borne until the question of her elevation is settled.”

A stir passed through the chamber.

Scarlett kept her focus forward, ignoring the weight of the attention fixed on her.

“You may rise, Baroness Hartford, the Revenant Flame,” the emperor continued. “The remaining forms will be handled in due time. For now, this ceremony must continue, and there are other matters still awaiting my attention.”

His eyes lingered on her.

“When these proceedings have concluded, you will be brought to me for the private audience as promised.”

Scarlett rose, carefully smoothing the fall of her gown as she stepped back from the stairs.

Around her, the chamber seemed to have shifted in some subtle way.

Her gaze moved once to the emperor, then briefly to the second princess standing beside him, before Scarlett returned to her place among the titled nobles.

The Revenant Flame.

That might take some getting used to.