Maximus
July 5th, Year 501 of the 3rd Era. Maximus sat around an empty dining table waiting for his children. What was now being dubbed Lia’s Southern Rebellion was now over, and eight dead earls needed to be replaced. This would have been a relatively simple affair if it wasn’t for the fact that Lia almost killed every royal that was in line for the earldoms.
After the chaos of the rebellion died down, Gala and Romulus both suggested that they handpick the next royals in a closed-door conference to ensure loyalty to the crown.
As he sat there, he wondered about the events that happened over the last couple of years. Royals and mythical beings were dropping like flies and this left Maximus thinking about his own line of succession. The heir was getting into life-or-death situations left and right, and though he performed well in war games, his real-life experience in the field was atrocious, but in the end, he always seemed to come out on top. Though, Maximus couldn’t help but believe that his luck would run out soon. On the other hand, Gala had done almost everything right. Of course, she didn’t help kill two high-ranking members of the People’s Lord, but she also helped bail the treasury out by providing economic activity. Her people loved her, and her confidence in the crown only seemed to increase where she went. If she were only wasn’t a bastard. Being a female wasn’t the biggest of issues since queens have existed in the past, but since she was a bastard the line of succession bypassed her and went to Nero.
Maximus sat thinking about Nero. He wouldn’t worry about him if Nero was a normal human being, but, of course, Maximus’s luck left with him a child that was nothing less than a savage. When Maximus heard the reports of Nero’s involvement in the Griffin Republic, he could not help but laugh. Sure, Maximus had made mistakes during his reign, but he never outwardly showed it. Weakness wouldn’t be tolerated, and the report of a prince helping pass laws in Congress or arbitering the peace talks was an insult to the crown. Was it his business that their continental rivals improved their countries? It was nothing less than treason, and if he wasn’t needed as a backup for Romulus, Nero would be long executed for treason. However, Maximus couldn’t help but improve his opinion of his son as the Nero that Maximus knew would never have the metal to do such things. The king even heard that Nero held Lucius in his arms when he died. Maximus’s best guess was that Nero liked his new residence and did whatever he could to stick it to his father.
As Maximus scoffed at the notion, Romulus entered, shortly followed by Gala. They greeted each other, and the two children both held lists in their hands. A map lay on the table showing the earldom map of the Kingdom of Qar. The three of them exchanged small talk before Maximus decided to move on. “Please, we have eight earls to replace. Show me your proposals.”
Romulus didn’t hesitate and began to present his suggestions. First, he said which earldom he was proposing to discuss, followed by the candidate’s relation to the now dead earl, and lastly, their name. The room was silent for a short time before Gala spoke up. “I have a list of my own.” She read off her list, and none of her candidates matched up with Romulus and were significantly further removed from the previous earl. Most of Romulus’s candidates were either fifth or sixth in line or as close as many of the earldoms had, but Gala was suggesting people that were eight, tenth, or even fifteenth in line for the earldom.
Immediately, Romulus erupted and flew forward in his chair. “We can’t skip over so many people for no reason.”
“Oh, there is a reason. They would be better earls.”
“How? Some of these people are basically People’s Lord members.” Romulus rebutted. “Your candidates for Birdmouth and Edgetown have both publicly spoken out against the crown and all of these people are rumored to be against slavery.” Romulus turned to his father. “Imagine eight earldoms suspending slavery all at once. All the other slaves would revolt.”
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“I can overrule the earls if that happens,” reminded Maximus.
“Then what? Do the slaves think they have support for their cause and stop working? No, we need strength at the moment.”
“As in burn and drown someone at the same time? That kind of strength?” asked Gala.
Romulus snapped his attention toward Gala, and the two started an argument that gradually increased in volume until forced them to stop. “Enough! I’ve made up my mind.” The two children fell silent. “Slavery is necessary for the operation in the kingdom and righteous for those Borzors, but Gala is right that there are significant drawbacks to slavery.”
“So, what are you proposing?” asked Romulus.
Maximus stood and dragged his finger down the Wine River. “Gala would choose the people you want west of the river. Romulus, you do the same in the east. Is that understood?”
“Three of the earldoms are east and west of the river,” pointed out Gala.
“Alright then, Romulus, you get Birdmouth and Norlisbia while Gala gets Baneland.”
“That’s not fair, Gala gets five earldoms while I get three.”
“You get Birdmouth,” pointed out Gala. “I am perfectly happy with this. Romulus?”
Romulus sat there grumbly but agreed to the compromise. Maximus stood there waiting for Romulus to pull out another card and convince him to come up with another plan, but it seemed that Romulus was okay with the deal. Of course, he would have wanted more, but Gala and Maximus weren’t easy people to convince, or at least that’s what Maximus thought Romulus was thinking.
The heir nodded his head before standing up to leave.
#
Later that day, Maximus was walking around one of the many gardens of the palace when Gala walked up next to him. “So, Romulus is going back down south to hunt the rest of the People’s Lord?” asked Gala.
“Yes,” responded Maximus. “He and General Pluto should make light work of them. He even told me that he is recalling Kosta to his service. I guess he doesn’t want to get lost in the mountains again without him. Speaking of Kosta, how is his adversary General Smith getting along.”
“You know, I have him doing the necessary things ever since Lia’s rebellion. Though, he is understandably mad that he wasn’t allowed to help kill Lia.”
“Even if he was there,” Maximus launched. “Romulus would have made sure to kill Lia himself. If Smith ever dared touch Lia without his permission, Romulus would have burned him alive.”
Gala winced at the thought before looking down in hesitation. It seemed that she was deeply uncomfortable with the thought. “What, you want to keep your dog alive?” Maximus asked. “Don’t worry, nobody touches my daughter’s pets without my permission. If Romulus dared, I would kill Kosta in exchange.”
“That’s the thing,” Gala said. “It’s not that I want Smith alive, though that would be nice, that if Romulus is capable and willing to ensure that nobody challenges him when he is a general, one can only imagine when he is king. You know, if the earls challenged him on a royal decree or an increase in taxes, is he going to chop off their heads?”
“Yes, there is that to worry about, but I’m sure that cooler heads will prevail.”
“Like who?” The two of them stopped walking, and they looked at each other. “Me? Nero? Kosta? If we aren’t around him for a second, he is going to commit a massacre on a city’s population.”
Maximus scoffed, but Gala pressed on. The king tried to pretend that he had some faith in his son to keep the peace, but Gala saw right through it and asked him to be honest. “Okay,” he said. “He’s not the best, but what am I going to do? Put Nero on the throne? I can’t just do what you are doing and skip four people in the line of succession to pick someone I like.”
Gala didn’t respond and simply looked at her father. Maximus tried to say something, but before he could, Gala interrupted him. “In your opinion? Who would be the best monarch?”
Maximus thought about the question but more importantly, contemplated why Gala said monarch and not king. Maximus’s heart sank at the notion. What would the earls say? What would Romulus do? Would it even be worth it? “Are you aware of what you are suggesting?”
Gala smiled and shook her head. “I’ll get started on putting my candidates on their thrones. In the meantime, as far as I am aware, Claudia’s my mother.”
No more words were spoken as Gala walked away and disappeared back into the palace, leaving Maximus alone. All the pieces were moving under him, and he was oblivious to it all. If he made a move for either side, he would either save the kingdom or doom it for hundreds of years. It seemed whispers of Gala and Romulus filled his head and couldn’t bring himself to a decision.