"There's nothing to be uncertain about... The Dedication Ceremony is basically held so that the royalty can gather magic power and the other duchies can deepen their understanding of religious rites. For Ehrenfest, it's nothing more than buying time for handover and preparations. It doesn't count as a benefit to Ehrenfest."
"...Even though it was something
"Would Prince Sigiswald simply relocate to another duchy and live there because you were told it was urgent? I can't imagine the royal family's duties are so simple that they require no handover at all. Would you consider the preparation time for moving to be a benefit?"
"I am an adult, and you are a minor. No matter how much work you may be doing, there's a significant difference in the responsibility and the volume of duties each of us bears."
Hearing that said so cheerfully, I realized the enormous gap in how we perceived the need for a handover. The royal family apparently viewed my work as merely assisting the Aub.
...Ah. So that's what they're thinking — that once the royalty's preparations are in order, everything can proceed immediately.
"Prince Sigiswald, the reason my handover takes so much time is because I'm the person in charge. With printing and the
"Rozemyne, aren't you a minor? Surely, no matter what, you have an adult guardian?"
Sigiswald said that gently, a strained smile on his face. I met his gaze with a cool smile of my own.
"Lord
It wasn't that no handover had been made by an adult — the problem was that they would move along with me. No matter how I looked at it, there was no way
...Not that I wanted that kind of certainty, but
"They'll need to memorize all the blessing prayers for every rite within a year, understand how each ceremony is conducted and prepared, and much more. Religious rites are directly tied to the duchy's harvest yields, and if they can't read the old script, they won't be able to read the High Priest's Holy Book either. Can't you see that the handover isn't so simple?"
It was probably partly because of the sheer volume of work, but as I smiled at Sigiswald — a royal who still couldn't read the ancient language — he blinked several times as if searching for the true meaning behind my words, then stared at me for a long moment before finally squeezing out in a strained voice: "What exactly is the Aub of Ehrenfest thinking? Making someone this young the true person in charge — that's simply inconceivable."
"My retainer, who inherited the position of Chief Priest from Lord Ferdinand, is an adult, so my adoptive father and Lord Ferdinand presumably thought it would be fine. They only needed to train a successor before I came of age. You mustn't think of Ehrenfest the same way as the central region, where talented people gather from every duchy."
I reiterated, "Ehrenfest is short on manpower, as I've said," and Sigiswald lowered his eyes slightly. It seemed he was only now truly grasping the enormous gap in perception between us.
"For a regular marriage, wouldn't someone spend one to two years packing up their belongings, preparing what they need for their new life, and saying farewell to those around them? If you're moving to an entirely different duchy, a year or so of preparation time is only natural — I hardly think it could be called a 'benefit,' do you?"
As I implicitly reproached the royal family for refusing to grant what should have been obvious time, my thoughts raced ahead to future plans. Considering the printing industry and the
"One year of preparation won't come anywhere close to compensating for the losses Ehrenfest will suffer from my absence. I'll be cutting into my own reading time to complete the handover of the High Priest duties, orphanage director duties, and printing duties over the course of a single year. It's only natural that the losses Ehrenfest incurs from my becoming the king's adopted daughter be compensated, and on top of that, I need additional compensation. Without it, I simply cannot make this work."
The express handover surcharge is steep, I thought as I looked at Sigiswald. Having felt how thoroughly each duchy was being squeezed, I could see that he was growing anxious about just how much the royal family would end up losing.
"I understand the High Priest and orphanage director positions, but what is this 'printing business'? You're in charge of that as well?"
"The printing operations within Ehrenfest have largely moved out of my hands, so the handover of those duties itself isn't terribly difficult. However, there are many matters to coordinate with the central region — whether to bring printing to the central region at all, how to relocate my exclusive craftsmen, whether I can set up shops for them even if they come along, whether workshops can be built, how many craftsmen can be relocated or newly hired, how long their training period will be, how to handle relationships with central merchants and shop arrangements, and so on."
"It would be an overwhelming amount of work, wouldn't it?" I asked for his agreement, and Sigiswald went expressionless for a few seconds before smiling and saying, "Rozemyne, that's not the work of a lord candidate. That's the work of civil officials and attendants."
"In the end, I will indeed delegate it all. But I have to verify everything with my own eyes at least once, don't I? I can't leave everything to others. Reports on paper often differ from reality, and the methods used in Ehrenfest and the central region are likely quite different. And we can't necessarily trust civil officials to report everything accurately."
I recalled the civil officials who, even in a state riddled with problems, had filed careless reports because they didn't want to appear incompetent. There were many things you couldn't understand without going to the front lines yourself.
"I see. You really are the person in charge, aren't you, Rozemyne?"
"Yes. That's why one year of preparation time is entirely insufficient."
I smiled, hoping he might extend the preparation period, but Sigiswald smiled back and shook his head.
"I understand your situation. Depending on the amount of magic power obtained through the Dedication Ceremony, we can wait no longer than a year, so please complete your preparations within that time. I would also like to hear how Ehrenfest plans to compensate for its losses. Perhaps we should have
Wondering just what kind of negotiations I'd be dragged into, his deep green eyes visibly tensened as he moved to summon Magdalena.
"Um, Prince Sigiswald. While I will discuss the conditions from Ehrenfest, I'm only stating my own opinions to prevent any misunderstandings or miscommunication. The final decisions will be made by the Zent and the Aub of Ehrenfest. I don't think there's any need to go out of your way to call Magdalena here..."
Important decisions about the duchy were made by the Aub. No matter what I said here, it was my adoptive father who held the final authority, and that decision would be made at a meeting with the Zent and the others.
"Now that we both understand that our standards of common sense and profit differ, Prince Sigiswald need only convey Ehrenfest's and my straightforward requests to the Zent. It's not for the two of us here to decide which conditions to accept and on what terms."
I emphasized once more that my words here would not constitute a final decision. Last year, Ferdinand had been sent to Ahrensbach with the royalty's backing, and my adoptive father hadn't been able to get a word in. Making sure the same thing didn't happen this year was crucial.
It was an important safeguard so that I wouldn't be scolded for making decisions over the Aub's head or acting unilaterally, and so that when the royalty tried to catch me on some point, I could deflect by saying, "The decision-making authority rests with the Aub."
For the record, I had only proposed the Dedication Ceremony — it was Sigiswald who ultimately decided to hold it, so I hadn't acted unilaterally.
...I just made a suggestion and gave them a little push. The hosting and the responsibility both fall on the royalty, so it's fine, it's fine.
"Ah, yes. We certainly don't have the decision-making authority."
Sigiswald gave a gentle smile and said, "Then please tell me the conditions for your adoption." It seemed that recognizing I didn't hold the final decision had put him considerably more at ease.
...He seems to have developed some kind of wariness toward me? Oh, well.
"My adoptive father will have his own requests as well, but let me state mine first. If you can grant me a preparation period of a year or more and accept these conditions, I will comply with the royal decree. It's only the conditions that are at issue — neither Ehrenfest nor I have any intention of rebellion, nor do we wish to escalate matters unnecessarily."
I made it clear that neither I nor Ehrenfest had any intention of rebelling, nor did we think it would matter if
"However, I cannot agree with royalty who would prioritize Yurgenschmidt's or the royal family's circumstances above all else, not caring what becomes of Ehrenfest. My
If someone were adopted or married off to another duchy, it would be natural to put that duchy first. But the moment my adoption was finalized, there was no way I could adopt an attitude that said, "Ehrenfest is another duchy." I was well aware this was nothing to brag about, but I still couldn't consider myself disconnected from the commoners' district or from Ferdinand. They were precious to me, and if they were placed in danger, I was confident I would fly into a rage.
"As
Encouraged by Sigiswald's gentle smile, I opened my mouth.
"I also asked Anastasius this, but please cancel the arranged royal marriage and return Lord Ferdinand to Ehrenfest. If Ferdinand is here, the majority of Ehrenfest's problems will be solved."
If Ferdinand came back and we had a year, the magic power shortage could be addressed,
"I believe Anastasius gave you the same answer, but we cannot return Ferdinand to Ehrenfest. Right now, we cannot afford to let Ahrensbach collapse."
Before the first and best proposal for Ehrenfest could even reach the Zent's ears, Sigiswald rejected it.
"If you could bring an unmarried lord candidate capable of governing Ahrensbach in Ferdinand's place, that might be possible. But we can't think of anyone. If Ehrenfest has someone in mind, then convince them and bring them here within a year."
A response similar to Anastasius's. The royal family was unwilling to pull Ferdinand out of Ahrensbach no matter what. It was a little irritating, but it was within expectations. I didn't want to admit it, but I knew that Ferdinand, who had become deeply embedded in Ahrensbach's inner workings, couldn't be freed so easily.
...In that case, I'd at least fight to secure his safety and living conditions.
My adoptive father had said Ferdinand was someone who had gone to another duchy. So if they cancelled the royal arranged marriage and returned him to Ehrenfest, my adoptive father would surely be happy — but I doubted my adoptive father's conditions for my adoption included improving Ferdinand's treatment. If I wanted to do something about it, I'd have to act myself.
...Anastasius did tell me to handle it on my own, after all.
I composed my expression for a moment, then smiled brightly. For just an instant, Sigiswald's smile twitched, but he quickly returned to his usual expression.
"I've heard from Prince Anastasius that cancelling Lord Ferdinand's engagement is difficult at this point. At the same time, I've also learned that if we had the
I asked whether Anastasius's words accurately reflected the common understanding among the royalty, and Sigiswald nodded slowly.
"Yes. If we could obtain the Grutrissheit, then cancelling the engagement would certainly be possible."
"Then, until I obtain the Grutrissheit — or until it becomes absolutely clear that obtaining it is impossible — please delay Lord Ferdinand's marriage. As long as he doesn't marry Lady
...If the engagement can't be cancelled until the Grutrissheit is obtained, then all we need to do is keep the engagement going indefinitely.
Hoping to first secure an assurance against collective punishment, I asked for the marriage to be delayed. Sigiswald crossed his arms and thought for a moment.
"We cannot postpone the Star Binding Ceremony any further. Considering what would happen to
Once the foundation was dyed and Detlinde was recognized as the Aub at the Lord's Conference, Ahrensbach's rules would force Letizia's status to drop to that of a higher noble. To prevent this, it seemed they needed to complete the adoption between the first day of the Lord's Conference — when the Star Binding Ceremony took place — and the recognition of the Aub. Indeed, entering the Noble Academy as a lord candidate versus entering as a higher noble was a huge difference.
"Then wouldn't the simplest solution be for the royal family to abolish Ahrensbach's peculiar rule that demotes other lord candidates to higher nobles when a new Aub is decided?"
"...Only an Aub can abolish a duchy's rules. We did propose it, but the previous Aub of Ahrensbach didn't abolish it, so there's nothing we can do."
Apparently, as long as it didn't contradict established law, the royal family couldn't unilaterally force the abolition of a duchy's minor rules.
...Come to think of it, Dunkelfelger has a lot of strange rules too, on account of its long history.
"If the goal is to avoid Ferdinand being caught in collective punishment, I think it could be arranged by slightly advancing the adoption ceremony with the king."
The Star Binding Ceremony was held on the first day of the Lord's Conference. If I could finalize my adoption with the king just before that and obtain the Grutrissheit, it might become possible to cancel Ferdinand's engagement. And if it was determined that I couldn't obtain the Grutrissheit, Ferdinand would simply proceed to marry Detlinde as planned. That way, Letizia wouldn't be affected.
"In that case, however, the preparation period Rozemyne requested would be slightly shorter than a year. Is that acceptable?"
I let my gaze drift for a moment. It was Ferdinand who had instructed me to create a preparation period of a year or more. Whether slightly less than a year would be acceptable, or whether it absolutely had to exceed a year — I'd need to question Ferdinand about his true objective before I could know.
"...I can't give you an immediate answer. I'll need to reconsider the timing of my adoption carefully to ensure Lord Ferdinand's engagement is cancelled safely. But if Ferdinand remains in Ahrensbach with neither his marriage nor his engagement cancellation proceeding, then I must demand improved treatment. Please have the Zent order Ahrensbach to grant him a hidden room."
Sigiswald, who had relaxed his shoulders upon seeing me give up on Ferdinand's engagement cancellation, went expressionless for a moment before smiling.
"Until an engaged party marries, they are given guest quarters. Not granting a hidden room follows standard noble convention. I think it would be difficult to order Ahrensbach to do something unreasonable like that."
He probably assumed I didn't understand noble common sense because I was raised in the Temple. Sigiswald explained it politely. But I already knew this. Both my grandfather and my adoptive mother had said, "In the position of an affianced partner, a hidden room won't be granted."
"I knew that after the marriage, I'd move to new quarters and gain a hidden room, so I'd accepted it until now. But the ceremony has been postponed. You're aware of other conventions as well, aren't you?"
Once the Star Binding Ceremony was postponed because Detlinde had been unable to dye the foundation at this Lord's Conference, a gap opened in the very convention Sigiswald had invoked. I smiled brightly. If they were going to tell me things couldn't be done because of convention, then I would simply make my demands according to convention as well.
"Since the marriage has become impossible until Lady Detlinde finishes dyeing the foundation, it should be perfectly possible for Lord Ferdinand to temporarily withdraw to Ehrenfest, shouldn't it? When a marriage becomes impossible, the affianced party should normally be able to request a cancellation of the engagement. Since he's being forced to continue the engagement through royal decree, returning to Ehrenfest to reset should be acceptable, don't you think? As long as the engagement isn't cancelled, it wouldn't go against the royal decree, and it would follow convention."
When an affianced party was invited from another duchy and the marriage fell through, the other party couldn't be forced to stay. The affianced party could even request a cancellation on the grounds of inadequate arrangements.
"In Ferdinand's case, the engagement is by royal decree, and he's already begun his duties. From the standpoint of preventing information leaks, a return is impossible. As a lord candidate, you should understand that?"
"Making an affianced party shoulder such an enormous workload in the first place is the selfishness of both Ahrensbach and the royalty. I understand that a temporary return home is not impossible under convention."
Ferdinand himself had accepted the royal decree and gone willingly, and he'd spoken of wanting to keep his distance so as not to trouble Ehrenfest. So he might not want a temporary return.
...But that didn't matter. What was important was securing a hidden room.
"If you're going to tell me that convention matters to the royal family, then follow convention and return Ferdinand to Ehrenfest temporarily, then send him back to Ahrensbach for the marriage once the foundation has been dyed and the Aub is confirmed. If you can't follow convention, then you'll be breaking convention, so grant Ferdinand a hidden room and have both the royalty and the Aub confirm at the funeral in Ahrensbach this summer that the order has been properly carried out. Since the engagement cannot be cancelled, I won't budge on improved treatment."
When I forced the choice upon him, Sigiswald deepened his smile and let out a small breath.
"...I cannot make that decision here and now. The one choosing will be my father. Is that acceptable?"
I'd be happiest if Ferdinand came back, but I doubted that, with Ferdinand currently holding Ahrenfest's administrative reins and serving as Letizia's guardian, they would be able to bring him back even if it was called convention.
...That's exactly why I absolutely had to get that hidden room!
Nodding while thinking, either way the Zent would choose something fine, I noticed that Sigiswald, his face still wearing a smile, was watching me intently with those deep green eyes.
"...You're quite fixated on Ferdinand, aren't you, Rozemyne?"
"Yes. While I was being raised in the Temple, Lord Ferdinand created various medicines for my frail body, did everything in his power to keep me alive, and educated me so I could survive in noble society. The fact that I placed at the top of my class in the Noble Academy is all thanks to his instruction. He's someone to whom I owe nothing but gratitude, and I haven't been able to repay any of it. He's my mentor and someone precious to me — like family."
I smiled at Sigiswald. I wanted at least an assurance against collective punishment. My smile deepened.
"So you see, when my precious family member — who loved nothing more than locking himself in a workshop in the Temple to conduct research — is sent away through royal decree to another duchy on bad terms with his own, forced into a daily routine where he's so drugged up he smells like the Zent himself even before the marriage has taken place, denied even a temporary return home despite the Star Binding Ceremony being postponed, and isn't even granted a hidden room... I would very much like the members of the royalty to imagine just how worried I would be, and what kind of feelings I would harbor toward the person who ordered it."
Sigiswald froze with his smile still on his face. I could tell the blood was draining from his expression. I rested my cheek against my hand, let out a small breath, and added more.
"And the result of everything Lord Ferdinand endured in Ahrensbach would be Lady Detlinde's collective punishment? No matter how much noble common sense dictates that one shouldn't worry about someone who's gone to another duchy, I simply cannot remain calm. I wasn't very good at controlling my emotions when I was younger, and I used to let my magic power run rampant quite often."
What would happen if it went wild right now? I tilted my head, staring at Sigiswald as a not-so-subtle threat, while genuinely wondering.
...No, seriously, what would happen? I couldn't tell where the control ended and the rampage began.
I had more magic power than before. My staff had grown, so I could manage the control, but I couldn't even imagine what a runaway episode would feel like now.
While I was lost in thought, Sigiswald had been doing the same. After a long silence, our eyes met, and Sigiswald smiled gently.
"I will consult thoroughly with my father about whether Ferdinand can avoid collective punishment, so that you needn't worry so much. I'll do everything in my power to make it happen."
"Oh, how delightful. I'm counting on you, Prince Sigiswald."
...Yes! It looks like the collective punishment issue might work out. Way to go, Lord Ferdinand! Isn't this just wonderful?
I clenched my fist on my knee in a small victory pump, then cheerfully moved on to the next condition. Having cleared my own minimum threshold, I practically wanted to sing a little tune — but the negotiations weren't over yet. Composing my expression, I turned to face Sigiswald again.
"To compensate for the magic power lost through Lord Ferdinand's and my departure, I'd like to bring talented individuals into Ehrenfest. I would like the Zent's approval that marriages with those from Ehrenfest — meaning the incoming spouse, whether husband or wife, must join Ehrenfest — will be permitted for a period of five years. We cannot send even a single person out."
These were conditions my adoptive mother had proposed. With Ehrenfest's rapid rise in rank and the many new trends it had spawned, numerous duchies wanted to maintain connections with it. I'd heard that the Noble Academy students were increasingly being approached by students from other duchies.
Every year, more than ten Star Binding Ceremonies took place, roughly half of which involved marriages to people from other duchies. If all of those could be structured so that the other party joined Ehrenfest, it would be a quick way to increase the number of adult nobles. The children born to such couples would naturally receive Ehrenfest citizenship, making it highly effective for growing the noble population.
Since marriages not involving lord candidates required the mutual consent of both Aubs, Sigiswald simply nodded and said, "That should be approved."
"Also, I'd like to receive around thirty to forty Magical Tools to give to children when they're born. There are children who can't become nobles because they lack Magical Tools, and I'd like to raise those children as nobles."
"Thirty to forty Magical Tools for children? Isn't that an enormous number?"
It was probably because they were difficult to produce and expensive — Sigiswald's smile grew tighter.
"Oh my? With the five-year condition on incoming marriages that I'm about to propose, I've actually calculated quite conservatively. The magic power and labor that Lord Ferdinand and I provide are worth more than thirty to forty mid-ranking nobles combined. I'd like the royal family to be conscious of the magnitude of the losses they're inflicting on Ehrenfest."
If I could get this in addition to a one-year grace period, Ehrenfest's magic power problems should be manageable even after my move to the central region.
"Finally, could you order the Ehrenfest-born nobles currently stationed in the central region to return home for a visit?"
This was a request from my adoptive father. Under the current situation, information from the central region and other duchies wasn't reaching Ehrenfest at all. Justus had apparently been obtaining it from somewhere before, but now the information pipeline had gone truly dry. With Clarissa being relied upon to such an extent, I wanted him to understand just how dire it was.
...It would be good for me to meet them before going to the central region myself. This works out nicely.
Though the request had been refused, what the royalty had proposed to my adoptive father was essentially, "Send Ehrenfest's talented people to the central region so that I can move freely there." I supposed it was standard practice to elevate people from one's home territory to the position of retainers in order to build one's own faction.
And when I'd considered that, I'd thought, "Wait?" — would my understanding align with the Ehrenfest nobles who had gone to the central region before me, when I only knew the Ehrenfest of
Sigiswald was pleased with this request as well, happily agreeing. "That's something we've been hoping for too," he said. Apparently the royalty was also troubled by those nobles who were reluctant to return home. With a proper justification now in place, he said they would be ordered to return for the winter.
"Lastly, I have a few personal conditions — not from Ehrenfest, but from me individually. Due to various circumstances, I have accepted names from retainers who are still minors. Regardless of age or rank, I will bring all of them with me, and they must all be accepted."
"Couldn't that wait until they're adults? Minors need their parents' permission for everything, and considering their enrollment in the Noble Academy, wouldn't it be better for them to remain in Ehrenfest?"
Sigiswald tilted his head in puzzlement. "Some of them don't have parents," I replied, asking him to convey my request to the Zent.
"Having accepted their names and entrusted their lives to me, I hold more authority over them than their own parents do. They require my permission for everything they do, and there are reasons why Ehrenfest in its current state cannot keep those who have pledged their names to people from other duchies."
I deflected the matter of reasons — "Please ask my adoptive father about that" — and took a breath to steady myself. What I was about to demand was something I absolutely had to win. When I straightened my posture, Sigiswald unconsciously did the same. Behind his gentle smile, there was a subtle tension. I steeled myself and looked him dead in the eye.
"This is the most important condition for me personally — one I will not compromise on. And if you truly wish to take me as your wife, Prince Sigiswald, I believe it should be an important condition for you as well."
"What is it?"
"For information-gathering purposes beyond what the underground archive can provide, I demand unrestricted access to every library and reading room in the central region, along with the right to read every document within them. Additionally, I want you to prepare a reading room in my separate palace."
Sigiswald fell silent for about three seconds at my forceful demand, then produced an awkward smile.
"...A reading room in the separate palace? Apart from the Royal Palace Library?"
"Actually, the condition for me becoming Ehrenfest's first wife was to have unrestricted access to Ehrenfest's library and the Temple's library. A library is essential for me to marry. If you're going to be my husband, Prince Sigiswald, then please build a reading room in the separate palace you would give me. My dream is to be proposed to with the words, 'I've prepared this library and these books for you.'"
You do wish to marry me, don't you, Prince Sigiswald? I smiled at him, and Sigiswald, wearing a strained expression, said, "I'm glad to hear you're considering marriage to me positively."
...Your face is twitching, you know?
"By the way, what sort of scale are we talking about for this reading room?"
"If it could surpass Ehrenfest's library, that would be ideal — but as long as it exceeds Lord Ferdinand's library, I'd be satisfied."
"Ferdinand's library?"
I nodded vigorously at Sigiswald.
"Yes. My guardian, Lord Ferdinand, bequeathed to me his estate and his book collection when he departed for Ahrensbach. Since I'm getting a royal husband, I don't think anyone would fault me for expecting more than what my guardian provided. If I'm asking for something that exceeds the personal possessions of a mere lord candidate from Ehrenfest, it should be easy for royalty, wouldn't you say? Ufufu."
As I happily described the size of the collection and the number of volumes originally lined up on the shelves, the smile gradually faded from Sigiswald's face.
...Huh? Could it be that even royalty finds this difficult?
"If you truly can't prepare a reading room in the separate palace, you're welcome to make the Royal Palace Library my separate palace instead. Living inside a library has always been a dream of mine, so I'd welcome it wholeheartedly. I look forward to seeing what kind of library Prince Sigiswald — who desires to be my husband — will present to me."
I smiled sweetly, letting a hint of begging show, and Prince Sigiswald murmured with a half-dazed expression, "I'm going to be your husband?"
...Hmm? Wasn't it Prince Sigiswald who said that? Wait — did I mishear?
Tilting my head, I sought confirmation from Sigiswald. If I'd misheard, that would be embarrassing.
"As royalty, it's the optimal arrangement, and Prince Sigiswald, you said you wished to marry me just now, didn't you? ...Could it be that I misheard?"
"You didn't mishear. It's just... perhaps slightly different from what I'd expected. The optimal arrangement... Yes. It was supposed to be the optimal arrangement. But Rozemyne, is this truly what you want?"
Better late than never — it seemed he was finally willing to listen to my actual opinion. If it wasn't happening here, it would be difficult to convey my honest feelings. So I decided to tell him the truth.
"I have absolutely no desire to marry the groom at a wedding I personally blessed. However, if it's an obligation as the king's adopted daughter, then I'll accept it. That's exactly why I need you to prepare a library that can protect my peace of mind."
It was the same as when I'd been engaged to
"...A library, at least."
Prince Sigiswald's gaze went distant for some reason. He didn't look happy about getting what he'd been so passionately discussing. I couldn't understand why.
I didn't know what to make of it, but I'd made my demands clear.
"For now, these are the straightforward opinions and conditions from both Ehrenfest and me. Let the Zent and my adoptive father decide what choices to make. Please deliberate carefully, so that I may gladly become the king's adopted daughter and maintain a lasting, harmonious relationship with all of you in the royal family."
This had grown long enough to qualify as a middle chapter.
Rozemyne, in high spirits after winning both Ferdinand's improved treatment and protection from collective punishment.
And she demands a library or reading room from her prospective husband. A genuinely expensive woman, Rozemyne.
Good luck, Prince Sigiswald.
Next: the results of the negotiations and the Dedication Ceremony at the Lord's Conference.