An old looking half-Elf sat in front of her, looking unbothered by the opulence of the formal meeting room.

"I think you know why I called you here." Althea said.

"The Empire is going to kick us out, aren't they?" The Elf sighed.

Well, maybe he did not know what she was talking about.

"Not that, no." she said. "The royal council is going to give you an island to live on."

The Elf looked up, his expression more suspicious than hopeful.

"To be more exact, I am going to buy an island from the Reh duchy and give it to you to live on." she continued. "The Human treaty forbids non-humans from becoming citizens of the Empire-

"And from becoming nobles. A lot of countries forbid us from trading or even stepping into their lands. The Solerian Empire is the only one in this part of the world that even accepts. The only thing the treaty doesn't seem to forbid us from doing is becoming soldiers." the Elf said, looking right into her eyes.

So they could die for humans, but they couldn't live among them.

"I am sorry." she said. "I sympathize with your plight, and will do what I can to help you. The treaty is sadly not something I can touch."

The Elf sighed again. "I am aware, your grace. I have spent over a century in Elven politics, the intricacies of such things are known to me. That does not mean I like them. Now, what do you want to do?"

Althea raised an eyebrow. The Elf was bold. As if he had something up his sleeves. Perhaps a secret trump card?

"The Diery county has a tradition of electing its regional leaders for a lifetime term." she said. "A few positions in the cities still end up being nominated…but it has worked for us."

The democracy had surprised her too. And the fact that it had worked. The people here did not seem the kind to accept a weak ruler. But perhaps there was a reason that every ‘elected’ leader just happened to be the strongest person around.

"I am willing to offer the Elves something similar. The Elves can be autonomous of the county administration, answering only to me and the Emperor. As a guardian of the Empire, I have the power to do this." she offered.

"And what do you want in return?"

"Please, don't rebel against the Empire and cause problems for me." she asked." The county is in deep trouble, and I am sure you are aware by now, very weak. If you rebel, I could not control you. The Empire would have to step in, and that would ruin me."

The Elf stared at her, making her a bit queasy. But Althea held on.

"When my people left the shores of our old home, we expected great resistance." the Elf answered. The people really liked long-winded explanations that took a long time getting to the point.

"The Human treaty is known to us, and so was the fear your kind holds for others. Very deserved, in a way, but still irritating." the Elf said.

Althea tried to look patient as she listened.

"But you surprise me. A semi-autonomous island that allows us our own government." the Elf got up. "I see no reason for us to rebel, your grace." And then he knelt down.

"I, Venest, hereby pledge loyalty to her grace, the Countess Guarding Diery. I promise to obey her commands and follow her to battle as long as it does not pose a fatal threat to my people." the Elf said.

Althea sighed, she did not know how to respond to this. The pledge was foreign to her, and she did not know the correct words.

"I do not know what words will satisfy you, so I shall make my own." she replied. "I accept your pledge, Verest of the half-Elves. I promise, in turn, to not let a single half-Elf sacrifice themselves in vain. I promise that I shall treat you just as I do my human subjects, regardless of what the law says. And finally, I promise to help you when you are in need."

Verest raised his head and smiled.

"Thank you, Countess." he said. "Perhaps our people can have a cooperative relationship, regardless of past relations or treaties."

Althea gave him a smile in return. "Just don't name yourself king or something. I think Prime Minister would do. The Duchess of Leria should prepare the island soon, after that, we can see about moving you in."

Verest nodded and left.

Althea sighed and walked back towards her room. The irritating part of the day was finally over. Now it was time for the less irritating part, sleep.

sc

Duchess Leria

Het had met the late Countess once, a long time ago. Back then, she had been the naive heir that looked down on her. A woman was supposed to act a certain way, be a certain way among the old families of the Empire.

The Empire had changed since the event three hundred years ago, the Empress was proof of it. The second half-step Grandmaster of the Solerian Empire. Even before that old fogey in the Zerolian duchy.

Het had laughed right with the other ladies when she supported the third daughter of a Baron for Empress. Oh, the royal family hadn't confirmed the Empress’ breakthrough, but a sect had died. Not even the Shadow Squad could hide that. The massive emblem she had left made it clear they didn't want to.

The Countess had been far wiser than her. The court had thought the Diery family was done for, but here they were. The family had risen again. And it had powerful backing. Het wouldn't make the same mistake again. Not that she had much of a choice.

"Are you sure about this, your grace?" her uncle asked.

"Yes, Uncle. The caravan has to be protected, and so do the Elves. I can handle the Duchy." she replied.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"As you wish then. Three Adept stage mages to the Diery county and two to their new island." her uncle replied.

"And arm the Elven ships. I want to gift the Countess a navy." she continued.

"Are you sure about that, your grace? Duke Zerolian will not be happy."

"Yes, I know." Het fiddled with her ring. "But lines are being drawn in the sand, Uncle. The royal family has secured its foundation, but some people that have been planning in the dark may not be able to just let it be. And if there is war to be had, I want us to be on the right side."

"Choosing sides this early may not be wise, your grace."

"Perhaps. Or it could be the best decision our family made since our ancestors followed Duke Zerolian to this Empire."

"As you wish, your grace." her uncle left and Het returned to gazing at the garden.

Three hundred years ago, it was the Serolain duchy that had helped the Solerian Empire have it’s first female ruler in a five hundred years. The old regime had been far more liberal than the new one. After the burning and the fall of the old royal family, woman had slowly lost their rights.

Three hundred years ago that changed. The rights started coming back. And then it changed again. As if life wanted to show how fickle it could be, the places had been switched. Or perhaps only one had. The Emperor was novel in his actions. The Zerolian Duke was just doing what they had been for ten thousand years, opposing the Emperor at every step.

But the Emperor had the upper hand this time. The duchy’s trade block was clearly ineffective. The county didn’t even seem to realize it was there. Het had a feeling it was because few nobles actually blocked the only major traders of the county. The Diery family itself. A largely self-run business empire that not even the duchies face in an economic battle What else could the duchies do? Not eat? The county did not have any nobles to poach. Not like her duchy that was losing people every year.

Het sighed, petting her cat. The beast growled in irritation, angry at being pet when it did not want it. Het ignored it. The new Countess may not realize just what she had stepped into, but she was there. Now it was time to see what Zerolian would do.

sc

Keron Solerian sat near the head of the table, looking at the weekly meeting of the royal family.

"The Countess Guarding Diery finished her coronation today." the Emperor, his brother, stated. "What is your opinion on the coronation?"

"A bloody mess." the first prince stated. The Solerian Empire had seven princes, and it still wasn't clear who would inherit the throne.

The fact that his brother had only ruled for little over a decade might have something to with that. The throne might end up skipping a generation, the Empress was already a half-step Grandmaster and his brother was close. The sixth and seventh prince weren't even old enough to participate.

"Why?" his brother asked. Keron leaned back, glad that he wasn't on the other side of the questions anymore. The meetings had been his nightmare when he was a prince.

"The Diery county is overrun with beast hordes, there is an outbreak of half-Elves and the duchies are acting up again. The coronation hurt our control over the situation when it should have strengthened it." the third prince chimed in before his brother could say anything.

The Empress tusked her disapproval, making the third prince redden up. A quick answer was not necessarily the correct one. But Keron had to concede how close he was to the truth. Well his truth anyway. The truth had the tendency to vary from person to person.

"The county is not yet overrun." the fifth prince noted. The third prince's eyes flashed with recognition.

"The county releasing its manual to the public and massively enhancing its military is a good thing for us." the third prince noted.

"And the Countess managed to cultivate the old manual." the first prince said. "The Diery family is making a comeback. That will help against any of our enemies."

"That is not yet known, but what else?" the Emperor asked.

"The half-Elves could be a useful force. The entire armada should not arrive for years yet, but there will be quite a lot of them. Tens of thousands at least." the fifth prince added. Well, someone was on a roll today.

"But will the Countess agree to it? The Elf only declared loyalty to her, and she made some…controversial promises when she took them in." the second prince chimed in. The Empress' took a long breath, but her sons did not seem to notice.

Keron knew why she was angry. If there was one thing she regretted, it was how analytical her children had become. The blood of rulers ran through them, and they acted like it. There was a reason he did not want to be Emperor. A ruler had to be ruthless. Not have emotions and sympathy. That was why women weren’t rulers.

"There is another reason we should support them." the fourth prince said.

"And what would that be?" the second prince questioned aggressively.

The second prince was a ruthless cultivation maniac. The fourth prince was the weakest and humane of the teenage princes. The two of them did not get along. Keron leaned back in his chair, this was going to be interesting.

"The half-Elves still feel and hurt. The human and Elven kingdoms have pushed them around for centuries, perhaps even longer. Not allowed to cultivate, rule or even live. Just be a tool in the hands of their rulers and die for them" the fourth prince said.

There was a part of the court that had certain opinions about these things. Keron didn’t really share them. A few things were just too sensitive to play with like this.

But the thirteen-year-old was very popular among these people for a reason.

"The Solerian Empire has a responsibility to refugees. The laws say so. And that is what they are." the fourth prince got up and walked out. The words had been fed to him, Keron was sure of it. Not really disagreeable, but also not practical. The half-Elves were foreigners.

Very powerful foreigners that had tried to take over other kingdoms before. There would be hostility, not just from the nobles, but from the people themselves.

"Sit back down." the Emperor ordered. The fourth prince halted, huffed and then took his seat.

Keron was used to his tantrums, and sympathized with him. The court could be hard to deal with…pretty much everyday. That was why it was the royal court.

"I don't think he deserves to sit here, father. Second brother has been enamored by those people in court and can't think for himself anymore." the second prince said. Keron sighed.

The interesting part had ended. The children had stopped being princes and returned to being a bunch of teenagers. The Empress was, as usual, going to be furious about it. But they were princes, not commoners. And as princes, they did not get to have a ‘normal’ childhood. Keron didn’t, his brother certainly didn’t, and neither had those before them.

"The court has the right to approach princes. The princes have the right to ignore them." the Emperor said. "Now, does anyone have anything else to add?"

"Is it true?" the fourth prince asked, surprising pretty much everyone in the room. "Did mother breakthrough ?"

The Emperor paused, looking at his son as if trying to see just who had told him that tidbit.

"Yes," he replied. "Do not spread that outside the family. Some people might have guessed it, but there is a difference between guessing and knowing."

"Yes, father." the fourth prince replied. "Why are we even scared of the Zerolian Duchy then?"

This time, even Keron narrowed his eyes on the kid. The situation with the Zerolian Duchy wasn’t to be brought up here, he knew that.

"Do you know why the duchy's name is so close to ours?" the Emperor asked.

"Yes, they are a branch family that came with us to this place." the fourth prince said. “The brother of the first emperor supported us and came with us to this land, the duchy was their reward for that.

"Yes. To be exact, they are a family that thinks that they deserve the throne. And they've been working for ten thousand years to make it so. The brother didn’t support the first emperor, he wanted to kill him and take the throne after he had done the work. "

“Just because you hear something does not make it true, or the whole story. Now, if you are done, we have other topics to consider.”

The meeting pretty much ended after that. The other topics barely got any responses, the few that did end up causing bratty arguments. What a pity.