Chương 19: Engagement Announcement

"Good news, everyone," my father said at dinner. Everyone became quiet as we looked at him.

"We have arranged a suitable marriage for my son and heir, Dereck Burnstock, to Princess Isabella Terander, first princess of the King of Terander." There was a moment of silence.

"Congratulations, brother," I said, and he smiled at me.

"Thank you, Justin."

"A princess, you don't aim low," Greg said.

"It is thanks to Father's recent dealings with the King's Court and the King himself that the arrangement went through," Dereck said.

"There was also a considerable dowry. But the King's Court won't be looking to impose extra taxes on us for our brief fight with Crownsmith. The King, Queen, First Prince, First Princess, and her three younger siblings will visit our estate in two weeks and will remain here for the next month. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior and courteous to them as our honored guests. They will dine with us as well as future family," the Duke said.

"And the rest of the King's Court?" Greg asked.

"Remaining behind and causing trouble in the capital, mostly. The guest house will be open to anyone with significant standing. Justin, because of concerns about your health and other incidents, I will always have a guard shadow you," my father said. I had expected this and didn't object. The King and his family were trustworthy. They wouldn't plan to assassinate me. But they would bring along their own guards, servants, and retinue to the Burnstock estate.

Although our family screened them, there was always a risk. For this visit, I would be part of the Burnstock family, and my presence was required, since my mother wouldn't be here. It showed that she had an interest in this family, and the King could create a connection with her, however distant, by marrying his eldest daughter to my eldest half-brother. I knew there were countless other political concerns and concessions as well.

While my father was the strongest noble in Terander and insanely wealthy, he wasn't looking to supplant the King as far as I knew. If he had been, he could have annexed land from Crownsmith to expand his holdings. That would have drawn a much more negative response from the King and other nobility. My father's holdings were already immense, and he controlled the largest and most prosperous city in the nation.

The King most likely wanted to be sure there wouldn't be trouble from my father's heir in the future, so he let the marriage go through. It would tie the Burnstock family firmly to the crown for at least 50 years, possibly more. Since my mother was married to Duke Burnstock, her protection would tentatively extend over the kingdom. At least that was the calculation other nations, and their nobility, would make when deciding if they wanted to start a war.

I knew they all thought of anything related to my mother and said 'nope'. Only the desperate with nothing to lose, the insane, or those wanting to stir up trouble would dare try something against me. If Crownsmith hadn't been destroyed, they wouldn't have attacked the estate. The royal guard failed and made their last attempt to strike a blow before ending their lives. Other nations that hadn't been destroyed would never take such a risk out of fear of reprisal.

Even the stealthiest of assassins would hesitate as well. If anyone could afford to hire the necessary legends to figure out who was behind an attack, it would be my mother, with her strength and connections, and my father with his wealth. Still, the legend who had cursed me remained at large. It was a constant worry at the back of my mind.

"How old is the Princess?" I asked.

"She just turned sixteen, which is ideal for her," my father said, and everyone nodded at this. Women wanted to have children as early as possible, before it became too difficult, and they developed methods to extend their lifespans. The Duke's first wife was almost half his age. While peasants and merchants might get married within a closer age range to each other, for nobility, waiting until they were in their late 20s or early 30s was standard to find an ideal match.

With the woman producing children, it was how society was. The inheritance was settled, and my father would retire as Duke. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I knew that once the princess was born, this had been my father's plan for his eldest son all along, since he was getting up there in years. Nobles retired to avoid conflicts with younger generations and joined the King's Court in the capital.

My brother had to keep his level low to ensure he could have children easily. He was only at level 20. After having four to seven children, he and his wife would rapidly power-level to level 60 in the dungeon. Most children were likely to survive birth, but the nobility wanted enough insurance regarding their family line, given how dangerous things could get if a legend attacked them. That was why my father only sent his other two children away, rather than disinherit them completely.

If an attack wiped out the family, they could restart it, and the Burnstock line and name would continue. The nobility's social protocols, which aimed to ensure stability and a smooth generational transition, were quite complex. No one wanted to be accused of being the next Eternal Emperor. While they weren't living in luxury, they had enough money to ensure they could live well and find a comfortable job while being under observation.

If they caused trouble or wasted their money, they would be disinherited entirely to ensure there weren't any succession issues. Many merchants and tutored adventurers came from this group of second, third, and fourth sons. After the marriage and once they had their first child, they would kick out my brother, Greg, and give him a substantial amount of money. They would monitor him, but he would no longer live at the estate.

My father would transfer over more duties before retiring and moving to the capital and spending time at the King's Court with the other old nobility. My grandfather, whom I had never met, my father's father, was part of the King's Court. This ensured a steady hand to guide the nation while also providing the continuity of families as much as possible. It also stopped younger generations from scheming for power against entrenched elders.

"Also, my father will be returning as well," Duke Burnstock said, and everyone grew quiet at that. That was going to involve a lot of drama. The eldest Burnstock had strong opinions about his son's second marriage to my mother, which was a significant reason he never returned to visit. He strongly disapproved of the entire arrangement. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on one's viewpoint, the younger generation has taken control of the family.

There were numerous historical examples of old men clinging to power, gathering resentment from a younger generation, particularly among the nobility. That was why the expected retirement age was between 60 and 80 years old, even if they could live much longer. The capital was essentially a vast retirement community for the nation's nobility, known as the King's Court. They would rarely travel, preferring to enjoy their relaxation and luxuries that the capital offered.

So, while there was a huge amount of wealth and soft power, it wasn't a thriving city like Burnstock, which was a trade and agricultural hub for the entire region.

"Will he want to meet me?" I asked.

"Possibly, but I will be present if you have any meetings with other nobility, including my father. I do not wish to risk the ire of your mother," my father replied, and everyone nodded.

"Will we be postponing the wedding until Supreme Warlady Elena's return?" Dereck asked.

"No. She would not be interested in such a thing, and it would be too intimidating for everyone. Other nations might view it as a threat," my father explained.

"So, is it going to be an international wedding?" My eldest brother, the future groom, asked.

"Yes. The King will insist, since it is an excellent opportunity to raise the prestige of this nation. I know he will try to attract some legends to come settle here," my father said with a shake of his head. Legends only spent a significant amount of time at the Last Bastion and the College of Advancement outside the dungeon. They were pretty rare anywhere else. If they had wanted to settle down, they wouldn't have had the drive to go past level 100.

My mother was a rare exception who was still an active adventurer but not down in the dungeon. Other nations would offer favorable terms, attempting to persuade such powerhouses to settle on their land. Each legend a country had living there was counted as a deterrent to being wiped out. Not that it did much against someone of my mother's level and power.

"I will review the guest list. How high up are we going?" Dereck asked.

"As far as we can go. Let's cast a wide net and avoid offending anyone if possible. Best to create a favorable atmosphere after what happened to Crownsmith," my father said.

"Also check if they have grudges against the Supreme Warlady; we don't want any incidents."

"I was planning on doing that," my eldest brother said.

"So, it looks like I am finally getting the boot out into the cold, harsh world," my youngest brother said with a touch of drama. My father turned towards Greg.

"There is an opportunity to marry into a noble family that lost its male line in Crownsmith. I have gotten a letter inquiring about marriage, if you are interested?"

"Really? Crownsmith? Aren't they calling for our blood?"

"Some of them are. Others prefer to make a show of peace and stability. Also, the barony is on the far border. They are hoping to use your connections as a threat to stop any adventurism from their neighbors."

"A review of the barony and the family will be needed. I am interested, though, would I still be getting the family stipend?" Greg asked.

"Yes. To help you settle down on your new estate and not make trouble," my father said. Greg smiled at that.

"Then you will get no complaints from me. Don't forget your youngest brother when I come begging for a trade deal."

"I will think about it. Carefully," Dereck replied with a small smile. I could tell that Dereck was happy he was finally going to become Duke of the Burnstock family. In three to five years, once he had enough children, my father would pass the title along to him. The one thing the nobility cared about was preserving their bloodline. I was more interested in returning to the dungeon to explore and level up my skills. I wanted to be the best, like my mother.