Firstborn: Return of the heir

“It’s exactly how I explained it before, and pretty similar to what you pointed out yourself. Right now, we need as many powerful backers as we can get, and given that none of the existing powerhouses will be willing to back us up…”

Saulus could never fight against Venna. Even though she didn’t use her power that often, the queen was also perfectly aware of how easy it was for her to twist him around her pinky.

“So you decided that you will create new powers on your own? Wouldn’t it be better to just directly control it all?”

Now that the girl calmed down, she made a surprisingly good listener. Once she cast away the typical prideful attitude of always being right about any topic she was asked about, Saulus’ lectures quickly started to make sense.

“There is a set limit to how much we can do ourselves. It’s better to get half of a huge cake than the entirety of a tiny one, isn’t it?”

Smiling at his own thoughts and the compromises he had to carve out in the past, Saulus shook his head.

“Listen. We are only as strong as our friends and retainers are. No matter how big of a force I amass on my own, they still need to be fed, housed somewhere and trained. In order to have all of those aspects secured, we can’t just rely on what we can do ourselves. It’s too much.”

Just like it was true in the legion, the country as a whole ran on exactly the same set of rules. A ruler had to appoint people that would gather taxes, organize armies or enforce laws. It was the ruler’s job to keep them happy and loyal no matter the costs… Because each of them had their own subordinates that needed to be kept in check.

“Okay, there is no need to nail this point down over and over again. But that doesn’t explain how could you just trade away an entire province like that! Wasn’t our goal the complete recovery of the Burn Household? How can we ever achieve this goal if part of our lands…” – Saulus’ eyebrow twitched – “… will be held by our damned enemy?”

Venna’s outrage was understandable. As great of a job being a maid for Saulus was when it came to hiding her identity, it certainly didn’t expose her to the wide world of politics. With no exposure from which she could gain experience, it was only expected for some bits of naïveté to remain in her head.

The naïveté that Saulus had to crush on the spot.

“The land that Bloy and I understand, under the name of the eastern province, already lies within the border of our dear neighbors. What you might fail to realize, is that it’s the place where most of my veterans come from. Be it the first or second legion, it’s even the case for the majority of the volunteers.”

The fall of Burn Kingdom saw all its neighbors jumping at the opportunity to gobble some of its lands. Both of its northern neighbors used some ancient claim from when the lands of the northern empire stretched all the way from what was currently named the western provinces, all the way to the easternmost city of the Kinland republic.

Studying it for a while confirmed that the northern empire indeed fell apart into three brotherly households, but the fact that it all happened way further in the past than just several generations ago made it nothing more than a simple excuse. In the end, no one had any doubts about what the reshuffling of land really entailed.

With Kinland to the east and Shifia to the west splitting the northern half of the country between themselves, Retesia swept through everything that was left. In the recent past, Shifia founded half of the first Retesian legion all the while Kinland continued to provide both coinage, recruits and most importantly, safe harbor on its lands. In that setting, any attempts at renegotiating the territorial changes of the past would be futile if not counterproductive.

“So you are saying that those lands of my Father’s kingdom will be lost forever? Ah, sorry. I allowed the emotions to get the better of me.”

Looking at the queen currently caving in under the burden of the reality of their situation, Saulus’ expression softened. Once again, there was no fault in Venna’s lack of a sense of realism in the political theatre.

“Listen. While it’s only my guess, I think both Shifia and Kinland are willing to help us not only destabilize their biggest threat in the region but also receive your blessing regarding the fate of the eastern province. By helping us regain the southern half, they wish to keep the north… And a small part of this north, something I was sure they would demand anyway is now under dispute as a free trading zone. I think it’s better to get partial income from an entire province that already provides us with most of the supplies than just give it up like that.”

Sitting heavily down on the chair, Saulus hid his face in his palms. Seeing his body slightly shaking, Venna suddenly wondered if she might be acting a little bit foolish. For her, the lands to the north were so distant that she didn’t even recall them being a part of her fatherland. But for the childhood friend of hers, they were not only the pieces of the puzzle he was set on the gathering but also important chips on the negotiating table with the neighbors.

“I’m sorry. I overreacted. Will you forgive me…?”

Putting the pride in the lands and titles of her father against the sweat and blood of her old friend, Venna understood her fault at once. Even though Saulus was behind the current solution of the northern problem, even though he spoke about it so openly as if it was the only possible choice…

It was the young general that carried the true burden of giving up on the lands that used to be a part of the Burn household.

Because it was ultimately Saulus that traded those lands away.