Chapter 52 – Meeting with a Marquess and an Earl 1

Anika spoke as she was walking with Alex. “It’s nice to see them getting along, right? It means peaceful days for you because you won’t have to get into the middle of a fight.”

“Yeah… What about you? Last time, you were about to get into a fight with Pearl and Wenammy. Probably I should have let them teach you a lesson because you were the one at fault.”

“I know… I don’t regret anything I did in the pool, though. I would do it again, even if I had to face the wrath of those two. It was such a great opportunity to have you all to myself; there was no way I was going to let it go to waste!”

“You realise that if any of them pulled the same stunt you did in the swimming pool, you would be furious as well, right? You should think about their feelings, besides yours.”

Anika bit her lower lip and spoke after a while. “You should take that advice as well. Pearl was right about one thing; you keep us hanging, and you don’t decide. You say you need to think, then you say something like, you are also hoping for a future with all of us, and then you take Okami to your room. What do you want, Alex? Do you think it’s funny to mess with us like you are doing? I was never treated like this, and I never waited for a man to get out of his room just to see him fooling around with a smiling woman or a Spirit, in Okami’s case.”

Alex frowned. “I never joke about other people’s feelings. I told you that Okami wanted to be with me, or she would never stop nagging. I was with her last night, but we weren’t going to do anything. At least I wasn’t, but it happened. Today is supposed to be your day, and I was hoping you would be near me for the entire day. As for the night, we shall see how the day goes. How does that sound to you?”

Anika raised one eyebrow. “Wait, a minute… You told me that Okami was the first in line. You are saying that you will be with each of us?”

“I suppose that’s what I am saying. I guess I am not sounding too full of myself, considering that was what you all wanted from me, and I only hope none of us gets bored after one night.”

Anika made a big smile while putting her head on Alex’s right shoulder. “I know I won’t get bored with you any time soon! So, I just need to seduce you for the entire day so that you will be more than happy to have me in your bed. Is that it?”

Alex kissed Anika’s forehead and said, “That sounds just about right. I guess I was not only being careful, but I was also afraid of what one night with any of you would mean. I want to be with you, Anika. In fact, I always wanted it, but I didn’t have enough confidence in myself. I still don’t, but I will do my best to make sure you won’t be disappointed.”

“I would never be disappointed with you, my dear. Angry at you for making me wait so long, or jealous of you and other women, sure, but never disappointed. This is going to be a fun day, with me spoiling you in preparation for a lovely night. I hope that after you have your night with Pearl, you can take one entire day to spoil me in return.”

Alex made a slight nod, thinking. “Yes, I think I can do that. By the way, it would be better if you behaved in the meeting. I don’t want to give any excuse for those two to annoy me.”

“Who do you think I am, Alex? I am more than used to dealing with prideful Nobles, way more than you, as a matter of fact.”

“That’s what you say, but you actually never told me much about your family. Heck, I had to come here to find out that Viscount Finley is your father!”

Anika gave a slight smile. “You are right, but it was not with any ill intent. I just don’t want you or the others to treat me differently. My mother… I already told you she is the Queen’s sister, but she is also the General of our army. I am the oldest daughter of my mother and the sixth in the succession line to the throne, making me a candidate right after my cousins, the Queen’s daughters. I will one day inherit my mother’s title as a Duchess and the responsibilities with our lands and our people, but in the meantime, I wanted to see the World. Then I met you, and now I don’t want to return to my underwater country. When I get married, I will get a big dowry from my family and many gifts from our Nobility, so I won’t join you empty-handed. I will bring a lot of wealth and an alliance with the Mermaid World.”

“Cool, but you forgot that you also bring your Magic that makes me able to breathe underwater! You are a wonderful asset, yes you are!”

Anika gave a big smile. “You really liked to be more like a Mermaid, didn’t you?”

When they approached the door that led to the meeting room, a servant rushed to open it for them, closing it when they went through.

At the round table, Viscount Tom West, Marquess Seth Perry, and Earl Marley Barker were looking at a map of Alex’s lands, and they all faced the door when they heard it open. They got up with a serious Viscount Tom looking at Alex, while Marquess Seth and Earl Marley were smiling awkwardly.

After Alex joined them at the table, and after pulling a chair for Anika, he asked, “So, what brought you two here today? Is there something bothering you, Marquess? Perhaps repercussions from the trap you tried to lay on me in the Chamber of Lords?”

Marquess Seth Perry gulped and forced a smile. “Earl Alex, I do hope you are not resentful about what happened in the Chamber. I was only looking out for our country’s best interests.”

“Marquess Seth, we both know that wasn’t a bit in your mind when you gathered supporters to take the lands that I inherited from the deceased Earl Kayden, even by going against the laws of our country, which stipulate clearly that a Noble without heirs can choose to whom he leaves his possessions. Let’s drop this subject, shall we? I won’t ask for an apology because you don’t seem willing to give me one, but keep in mind that I won’t forget about what you did. One day you will be the one in a pinch, and I will be the first to make sure you fall.”

Marquess Seth Perry glanced at Earl Marley, and after seeing him slowly nodding, he looked at Alex again. “It seems our voyage here will bear no fruits. We came asking for a licence for your methods to improve the production of our lands, but...”

“Personal vendettas and squabbles have no place in business. Are you both aware that my licence comes with the obligation to pay your farmers and to provide them with a better life, starting with the complete abolition of any kind of punishment and persecution?"

“Yes, we are aware of that fact. I don’t agree with those terms, but... our particular situation and what happened recently in the Chamber of Lords made us rethink our old ways. Perhaps it’s time for us to try a... different approach, let’s say, for dealing with the commoners.”

Alex made a slight smile and looked at the map that was on the table. “A wise decision, considering that yesterday at dinner I announced to the Nobles that came with the King to visit me I was going to disclose my methods to them, free of charge and with no licence, as thanks for being on my side for all these years. If you don’t use my methods as quickly as possible, soon you will be ruined because there will be a lot of Nobles with enormous harvests flooding the market, and there will be no room for you to sell your production.”

Marquess Seth made a tremendous effort to control his anger, and asked, “It was with the promise to do that, that you gathered so many supporters in the Chamber? I thought it was weird to see so many people on your side.

“I didn’t do a thing, Marquess Seth. The King took care of protecting my back. Not that I would need it, because our laws protect me, even if there was unanimity in the Chamber to take the lands of Earl Kayden from me. According to our laws, I would have six months to prove to the Chamber of Lords that I was fit to take care of those lands. We both know that I am. Besides, your words betrayed you, and in a way, you helped me by making the indecisive ones join me. At least the idea of creating more of those Security Forces went ahead. Despite being an idea from the greedy Baron Rowan Harvey to get more Magical Orbs for him to sell, I honestly believe it’s a good one to have those groups constantly patrolling our country.”

Marquess Seth moved a little in his chair because suddenly he was feeling uncomfortable. “According to Baron Rowan, it was not his original idea. We were with him after we left the Chamber, and he repeated the same nonsense when he first told us about the necessity for more Security Forces. According to him, a Mage dressed in dark clothes appeared to him and said that he represented the Consortium. When we heard the Baron saying that for the first time, we thought it couldn’t be true, but... Well, the idea of more groups patrolling the country, together with the possibility of getting for us the lands of Earl Kayden, clouded our judgement, and we didn’t pay too much attention to his gibberish about a Dark Mage.”

Anika squeezed Alex’s left thigh under the table, and he pretended that nothing was wrong and he said, “Strangely, an assassin tried to attack me in the front yard of this Castle when I was checking my new recruits. After some questioning, he also mentioned the Consortium. It doesn’t seem reasonable that a group that was eradicated over three hundred years ago suddenly resurfaces, but perhaps a jealous group from another country is trying to pluck their hands in our country to weaken the alliance. Besides the ‘Khaganat’, there are other countries that don’t belong to the alliance that could have some strange plan.”

Marquess Seth slowly nodded. “Maybe, considering it’s the most logical reason for everything that is happening lately. That could explain why Baron Rowan’s manor burned to the ground during the night, with everyone still inside. Perhaps that group didn’t like how the meeting in the Chamber ended. My men gave me the news that smoke was coming from the Baron’s lands, and after they went to check what happened, they found only smoking rubble. There were a few unrecognisable bodies, but some of them had some wounds that didn’t look right with a fire, manly missed limbs, and severed heads.”

Viscount Tom West nodded at the puzzled Alex. “I got the same news early this morning, but it didn’t seem reason enough to wake you up, Earl Alex, considering there was nothing you could do. I have already sent a message to the Chamber of Lords, and they will hold a meeting to decide what to do with the Baron’s lands.”

Alex went silent for a moment, listening to Shinatobe tell him that something wasn’t right with that story. He then faced the Marquess again and asked, “Didn’t the Baron tell you when he met that Dark Mage for the first time, Marquess?”

“According to him, it was two weeks ago, and that was when he talked with several Nobles that had a seat in the Chamber. And we did the same...”

Alex went silent again, and Shinatobe whispered she was going to see the debris of the Baron’s manor, and she left at such a speed towards the half-opened window that no one noticed a small light dot leaving.

Alex intertwined his fingers over the table and continued, “I don’t care about the death of Baron Rowan. He had it coming sooner or later, that greedy fool. I pity the ones that died with him, most of whom were probably innocents. Viscount Tom, can you send some of our people to see if they left family behind that could need our help?”

“I already took care of that, Earl Alex, don’t worry. We have accommodations being prepared for those that wish to move here, and job offers. If they want to go somewhere else, we are also going to help them move.”

Marquess Seth looked at the Viscount and then at Alex, and asked, a little surprised, “Why so many worries for the families of those commoners? They don’t concern you, Earl Alex!”