Chapter 199: Titles Buried Beneath Titles
Chapter 198: Titles Buried Beneath Titles
Marcus regarded Aldric for a moment after the question was asked.
Then he gave a quiet huff of amusement and lifted his glass once more.
"It is rather obvious," he said.
The firelight shifted softly across the room as he spoke, shadows moving against the carved walls and polished shelves.
"To anyone actually observing, at least."
Aldric frowned faintly.
Marcus took another sip before continuing.
"Princess Lyria’s expression gave her away several times during the announcement," he said. "She tried to conceal her displeasure, but one who observed closely would notice."
"Julian’s poem was beautiful," Marcus continued calmly. "Extremely so. I would never deny that."
Aldric nodded once.
"But it did not fully accomplish the task presented."
The guard looked thoughtful at that.
Marcus leaned back slightly further into his chair.
"The competition was not merely about writing well," he said. "It was about resonance. About understanding what would truly reach the candidates themselves."
Outside, rain had begun tapping softly against the tall windows.
"It is why so few of the poems actually succeeded in doing so," Marcus continued. "Most of them were admirable. Some were exceptionally written. But very few truly resonated."
He paused briefly.
"Duke Thorncrest’s poem, once one looked beyond the humour woven into it, was quite beautiful."
Aldric blinked once, evidently surprised by that particular admission.
Marcus noticed.
"Yes," he said dryly. "The Duke is unfortunately more intelligent than most people realise."
A faint chuckle escaped him before he continued.
"And Duke Aurelgrave’s poem was equally beautiful in its own manner."
The fire crackled.
"But none of them were Valenridge’s."
Silence settled briefly between them.
Marcus sighed then, low and thoughtful.
"And perhaps," he said, "that is precisely why he did not win."
Aldric’s brows furrowed.
Marcus looked toward the rain-streaked windows.
"The Blackmere territory has stood at odds with the royal family for generations," he said quietly.
The guard straightened slightly.
Marcus continued in the same measured tone.
"The fact that the Valenridges descend from pirates alone has long offended the Crown."
Aldric’s eyes widened faintly.
Marcus smiled thinly.
"And then there is the unfortunate matter of wealth."
"Their territory truly possesses that much?" Aldric asked.
Marcus looked amused.
"My dear Aldric," he said, "the Blackmere treasury rivals the royal family’s own. They possess more than one can easily imagine."
The guard stared.
Marcus swirled the liquid in his glass again.
"Power tolerated is one thing," he said. "Power that cannot be controlled is another entirely."
The rain strengthened outside.
"And Duke Valenridge himself does little to improve relations," Marcus added.
Aldric frowned.
"He openly criticises the royal family when they act improperly," Marcus said.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
"And unlike most nobles, he does not particularly care whether that displeases anyone."
The guard absorbed this quietly.
Marcus leaned his head slightly against the chair behind him.
"The disrespect shown today was rather obvious, for instance."
Aldric looked confused.
Marcus glanced toward him.
"When the reading was to begin," he said, "the first candidate called forward should have been Duke Valenridge."
The guard blinked.
"What?"
"By rank," Marcus clarified.
Aldric stared at him openly now.
"But..." he began slowly, "surely if there were to be any family above the ducal houses, it would be Duke Aurelgrave’s."
Marcus chuckled softly beneath his breath.
"That," he said, "is what most people assume."
Aldric’s confusion only deepened.
Marcus watched the fire quietly for a moment before speaking again.
"The Blackmere territory is extraordinarily secretive," he said. "Information concerning the Valenridges rarely leaves their territory unless they permit it."
The guard waited silently.
"This particular information," Marcus continued, "was not officially obtained."
Aldric blinked.
Marcus smiled faintly.
"I overheard it from a broker several years ago."
The rain continued falling steadily against the glass.
"The Valenridges," Marcus said calmly, "were once an Archducal family."
The words landed heavily in the room.
Aldric stared at him with widened eyes.
"That is impossible."
Marcus only lifted one shoulder lightly.
"So I thought at the time."
"But—"
"Their ties to the royal family are old," Marcus continued. "Far older than most people realise."
Aldric looked genuinely unsettled now.
"An Archducal house..." he murmured.
Marcus nodded once.
"And one with enough influence that even after whatever conflict occurred, they were reduced only to a ducal title rather than stripped entirely."
The guard was silent for several seconds.
Then slowly, he asked,
"What happened?"
Marcus exhaled quietly.
"That," he admitted, "I do not know."
The fire shifted again, illuminating the thoughtful lines across his face.
"I know only fragments," he continued. "That there was conflict. That titles were lost. That something occurred between the Crown and the Valenridges generations ago."
Aldric still looked stunned.
"And they remained powerful regardless?"
Marcus gave a faint smile.
"Power such as theirs does not disappear easily."
The guard shook his head slightly as though attempting to rearrange everything he thought he knew.
"And the royal family simply allows this?"
"Allows?" Marcus echoed softly.
He almost laughed.
"My dear Aldric, what exactly do you imagine they can do?"
The question lingered.
Marcus continued before the guard could answer.
"The Blackmere territory dominates trade routes across half the kingdom. Their merchants fund territories the Crown itself struggles to support. Their influence stretches well beyond what you can imagine."
He tilted his head slightly.
"And unlike lesser noble houses, they possess enough military strength to ensure they are treated carefully."
Aldric swallowed once.
"That is..." he began quietly.
"Dangerous?" Marcus supplied.
The guard nodded.
Marcus smiled faintly into his drink.
"Perhaps."
Outside, thunder rolled once more beyond the distant hills.
Aldric remained thoughtful for a long while before finally speaking again.
"Then perhaps the royal family truly did push him down deliberately."
Marcus did not answer immediately.
He simply watched the rain sliding down the windows.
"At times," he said at last, "power fears being reminded that it is not the greatest power in the room. And the royal family may have made a mistake in giving someone else the highest position during this competition. If this blatant display continues, we can only imagine what the people of the kingdom will say."
