As soon as the meeting was over, Cleo summoned Theodore, who entered the room and immediately started grumbling about Liam.
“Don’t you think you were a little soft on Banfield, Your Highness? When I told him to send supplies, he had the nerve to refuse!”
Although Liam had ultimately heeded Cleo’s orders, Theodore couldn’t stand the manner in which the count had rebuffed him.
“He said he’d send aid if he had the capacity,” Lysithea argued. “That’s not a refusal at all. Have you forgotten that you only have the position you now hold because of Count Banfield’s aid?” Cleo had used House Banfield’s money to establish his Imperial Guard. In other words, Theodore only had his job because of Liam.
Theodore understood that, but he still couldn’t hide his displeasure. “Lady Lysithea, this is Prince Cleo’s faction. Is it not natural for the nobles in it to support the faction?”
“Count Banfield is the only one who extended his hand to us when we were struggling, and you want to spit on his generosity!”
Theodore reluctantly closed his mouth when Cleo stepped in. “Leave it at that, Sister.”
“Cleo?! But they’re—”
Lysithea had other complaints about how the meeting had unfolded, but Cleo clearly didn’t intend to listen to them. Instead, he turned to Theodore. “Theodore, you’ll serve as a military observer in this war. I want you stationed on Count Banfield’s ship, where you’ll fulfill your mission—got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
A moment earlier, Theodore had seemed dissatisfied, but he responded to Cleo’s order with gusto. Perhaps he was so enthusiastic because he’d achieved the position of Special Lieutenant General and would thus now be referred to as “Your Excellency.”
However, Lysithea was worried. “Cleo, I’m not sure about appointing Theodore as a military observer. Look at how that meeting went today. The faction’s nobles don’t have a great impression of him.”
Cleo wasn’t taking Lysithea’s advice, though. “It’s already decided. It’ll be fine. Count Banfield will win this conflict—I’m sure of it. All we have to do is sit back and wait.”
Lysithea still seemed dissatisfied, but she couldn’t do anything to change Cleo’s mind.
✦ ✦ ✦
After that meeting, I gathered the most important people in the faction for a little discussion of our own. Baron Exner, my friend Kurt’s father, was of course one of them. Then there were the slender, white-haired Francis Sera Gyanne and the musclebound, eyepatch-wearing, piratical Jericho Sera Gaul. These three formed the core of Cleo’s faction.
I’d had a lengthy relationship with House Exner, and since the baron was Kurt’s father, I trusted him. Meanwhile, the other two were at least very competent lords of their territories. Unlike the ignorant masses, these three knew what they were doing.
Jericho grabbed some of the drinking snacks we had in front of us. He tossed them into his mouth, crunching them and gulping them down. “Theodore might be on top of the Imperial Guard, but that coward’s really full of himself, huh?”
Sipping his drink, Francis agreed. “Prince Cleo seems to have put together his own force of thirty thousand ships with the money we provided him. That’s irritating enough to me, but I imagine you’re more annoyed than anyone, Lord Liam.”
Jericho and Francis gave me expectant looks, no doubt wanting to know what I thought of Cleo.
I returned their gazes. “The prince was helping some court nobles who couldn’t get jobs, right? Very charitable of him.” Despite what I said, I downed my glass in one gulp, which was enough to signal to the other three that I wasn’t too happy about the situation.
Baron Exner wasn’t sure what we should do about the Imperial Guard. “Prince Cleo’s thirty-thousand-ship fleet and Imperial Guard will take part in the fight as well, but it seems Sir Theodore will participate as a military observer. He says he’ll go into battle alongside us, but I wonder what’ll happen.”
That was what had Jericho angry. “Cowards with no real battle experience will only hold us back. Is there any way you can refuse their help, Liam?”
As the head of Cleo’s faction, I could probably prevent the Imperial Guard’s participation. Theodore on my ship as a military observer? No thanks. A newly formed fleet with no real experience would only burden us, so I didn’t want them fighting with us either. I wasn’t in Cleo’s good graces right now, though, so all I could do was accept his orders.
At least, that was what my outward attitude suggested. In reality, I was glad that Theodore and the Imperial Guard were participating. “If they want to chip in, let ’em. I don’t mind.”
Francis gave me a keen look. “You’ve got your own ideas, I see. Well then, we’ll leave things to you.”
The three of them exchanged glances and nodded, all clearly in agreement.
Baron Exner changed the subject. “Ah…but what’ll happen with your wedding, Lord Liam? With all this going on, I imagine it’ll have to be postponed, but I’d love to know what your plans are.”
If there was a real problem here, it was my wedding. As this faction’s leader, I couldn’t get away with just inviting a few members. I’d probably have to ask almost all of them.
Baron Exner—and everyone else, really—wanted to know what I planned now that we had to deal with Planet Charlot. This conflict with Calvin would likely take a long time to settle. There was no time for a wedding now, so all I could do was cancel it. But…
I thought back to when I’d left for the Capital Planet.
✦ ✦ ✦
Rosetta came to the spaceport to see me off as I boarded my superdreadnought, the Argos.
When the lord of the domain was leaving, a lot of people ended up packed into the spaceport to see him off. Amagi and Brian were among them, and Brian’s crying was creating such a commotion that no one wanted to get near him.
Why does he cry so much? Doesn’t he ever get tired of it?
I didn’t have time to speak to everyone present, so Rosetta saw me off as their representative.
“I’ll be praying for your good fortune in battle,” she told me.
“For now, I’m just going to talk. I’ll be back soon.”
“Still, please allow me to pray that you’ll come back safe.” Rosetta held her clasped hands before her heart.
I felt a bit triumphant as I stood before her. “Too bad we can’t hold the wedding. Neither side can back down easily, so this war’s going to drag on. In the worst-case scenario, it could go for a century.”
The longer it extended, the longer my wedding to Rosetta would be postponed. My mood was truly sunny at the prospect of staying single for longer. That said, if Rosetta had simply shown some hostility toward me, I would’ve married her in no time.
Rosetta unclasped her hands and looked warmly at me. “You coming back safely is more important than our wedding, Darling. Even if it takes a hundred years, I’ll wait for you.” She was smiling, but she looked as if she had to push herself to do it.
“Hmph…”
I turned my back on her.
✦ ✦ ✦
I wished that she’d gotten pissed off instead and said, “Just don’t come back!” or something. Seeing her try to put on a brave face and smile had been downright painful.