Chapter 293: v3 - 54: the rewards of victory I

Chapter 293: v3 Chapter 54: the rewards of victory I

The end of the rebellion brought a different kind of silence.

For one year and two months, the kingdom had known little else but marching armies, sealed letters, military orders, and the constant fear that another uprising might begin.

Now there were no more rebel armies gathering beyond the capital.

No more fortresses refusing the King’s authority.

No more princes capable of raising a serious challenge.

Lorenz had secured his throne.

The kingdom was his.

But victory had come at a price.

Too many noble houses had been broken.

Some had lost their heads.

Others had lost their heirs.

Several families had been extinguished entirely.

Their lands now stood without masters.

Titles had become vacant.

Estates that had once belonged to powerful men were waiting for new owners.

The King had to rebuild.

And he had to decide who would help him do it.

The ceremony was held in the great hall of the royal palace.

It was not merely a celebration.

It was an announcement.

Those summoned were the men and families Lorenz had chosen to recognize for their loyalty during the succession and the rebellion that followed.

Great nobles stood beside military commanders.

Administrators who had remained loyal during the crisis stood beside men who had fought on the battlefield.

Some had protected the capital.

Some had supplied troops.

Some had provided intelligence.

Others had helped hold the kingdom together when its future had been uncertain.

Cassian stood among the nobles.

He wore the formal attire appropriate to his position, his expression calm as he waited among the other men being honored.

By now, Count Carlo of Almery was well known in the capital.

He had spent years moving through the highest circles of Milician society.

He had formed relationships with powerful houses.

He had advised the Crown.

He had negotiated on the King’s behalf.

And during the rebellion, his influence had extended well beyond the drawing rooms where he had first made his name.

He was trusted by nobles.

Respected by soldiers.

Listened to by commanders.

Lorenz began calling the names.

One by one, men stepped forward.

Some received restored titles.

Others received new lands.

Military commanders were rewarded with estates.

Loyal nobles were elevated.

Several families were granted territories that had once belonged to those who had rebelled.

The kingdom was being rebuilt around the men who had remained loyal.

Then Lorenz called Robert.

Robert stepped forward and bowed.

"You have served the Crown faithfully."

"You carried information when speed was essential."

"You went where others could not."

"And throughout the succession and the rebellion, you remained loyal."

Lorenz paused.

"I grant you the title of Baron."

Robert lowered his head.

"I am honored, Your Majesty."

"Rise, Baron Robert."

Robert rose and returned to his place.

Then came Alex.

His service had been different.

He had distinguished himself repeatedly in matters of security and military duty.

Lorenz granted him a lordship and an estate, together with continued service within the royal military structure.

Alex bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Then Gary.

His service had likewise been proven throughout the succession and the rebellion.

He had shown himself dependable in the field and within the King’s forces.

Lorenz granted him a lordship and lands of his own, together with continued advancement within the military.

Gary bowed.

"I am grateful, Your Majesty."

He returned to his place.

The ceremony continued.

More names.

More titles.

More lands.

More men stepping forward to receive the King’s recognition.

Then Lorenz’s voice carried through the hall.

"Count Carlo of Almery."

Carlo stepped forward.

The room seemed to quiet.

By now, nearly everyone of consequence in the capital knew his name.

He was no longer merely a distant relation of the Kensington family.

He had become a familiar presence among the highest circles of the court.

He had helped build the coalition that had brought Lorenz to the throne.

He had moved among noble houses and persuaded men to listen.

He had gathered information.

He had negotiated.

He had fought when necessary.

And when the kingdom descended into rebellion, he had remained one of the King’s most trusted men.

Lorenz looked at him.

"You have served the Crown in ways that cannot be measured by military service alone."

"You helped build the coalition upon which my reign was founded."

"You helped preserve it when others sought to tear it apart."

"You have earned the confidence of noble houses that once had no reason to trust you."

"And you have proven yourself useful in matters of diplomacy, intelligence, and war."

He paused.

"I have no intention of pretending that your contribution was ordinary."

The hall was completely silent.

"For that reason, I elevate you."

Lorenz’s voice carried clearly through the chamber.

"From this day forward, you shall be Marquess of Valmere."

A murmur passed through the hall.

Carlo’s expression remained composed.

Valmere was not a minor holding.

It had once belonged to a powerful family that had supported one of Lorenz’s brothers.

Its former lord had died during the rebellion.

There had been no surviving heir capable of reclaiming the territory.

Now the King was giving it to Carlo.

Lorenz continued.

"The lands of Valmere, together with the estates, revenues, and rights attached to the title, shall pass under your authority."

Cassian bowed deeply.

"I am honored, Your Majesty."

"You have earned it."

"Rise, Marquess of Valmere."

Cassian rose.

Applause filled the hall.

He heard it distantly.

Marquess.

The title carried considerably more weight than the one he had entered Milician society with.

Almery had given him standing.

Valmere gave him power.

He now possessed a substantial territory.

An income capable of maintaining a proper household.

The authority to appoint men to positions within his estates.

The means to employ servants, guards, and agents of his own.

And, perhaps most importantly, a political position that no longer depended entirely upon the Kensington family.

The title of Carlo had begun as a legitimate identity attached to a distant branch of the nobility.

Now the man bearing it had become something far more significant.

The ceremony continued for some time.

By the end, the new order of the kingdom was becoming clear.

The men who had remained loyal had been rewarded.

The men who had fought for Lorenz had been elevated.

And the lands of those who had rebelled had been redistributed among those the King trusted.

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Tbc