Chapter 76

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: He Is Gone
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Having fully understood his mother's meaning, Prince Alfonso stared ahead, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. Tears flowed endlessly from his blue-gray eyes, so much like his mother's, which were wide with shock.

“You are a future sovereign. You have a duty to your people. *Prudentia* (prudence), *temperantia* (temperance).”

Prudence, courage, temperance, and justice. These were the virtues of monarchs who followed the faith of the Central Continent. ‘Prudence,’ which commanded one to act with propriety, and ‘temperance,’ which demanded self-control and refusal to yield to desire. In this case, it meant he should dedicate himself to the needs of the state, not lose his head over a mere woman. But Alfonso could not help but protest to his mother.

“According to the philosopher Bonifacio of the Latin Empire, ‘the wife of a monarch is also a monarch.’”

Heat flared in the prince’s tear-streaked, blue-gray eyes.

“The one who stands beside the monarch must possess the same wisdom and insight, see the larger picture, treat their subjects with tolerance and virtue, and support the monarch with boldness and courage.”

He clenched his fists tightly.

“Ariadne is the person most suited for that position. She has the potential to elevate the Kingdom of Etruscan’s national power to another level.”

There were other words he couldn’t bring himself to say. *And… I, your son, want her.* The previous night, upon hearing Count Cesare’s proposal, Alfonso had felt as if he’d been struck in the head with a hammer. One day, Ariadne would be someone’s wife. She would stand by that man’s side, prepare his meals, and bear his children. That was the future that would unfold if he did not reach for her. Alfonso continued without stopping.

“I have met Grand Duchess Lariesa de Valois. While she may possess excellent qualities, she is not the partner I am looking for.”

She was impetuous, harsh, and far too absorbed in herself. By no measure was she the kind of person who could peacefully govern Palazzo Carlo and assist with Etruscan’s domestic affairs.

“Ariadne must become the Queen of Etruscan.”

*That is the only way she can stand by my side. The only way I won’t have to see some other man stroke her hair, touch her skin, feel her lips, and greet the morning with her.* At her son’s resolute declaration, Queen Marguerite gazed at him silently. The prince’s mouth went dry with tension at his mother’s unreadable expression. When Queen Marguerite finally spoke after a long silence, her words were shocking.

“If Acereto invades, we will fall within half a year without Gallico’s aid.”

Acereto was an island grand duchy located south of Etruscan’s southernmost tip. Island nations always lagged behind the mainland in development, and Acereto was less than half the size of Etruscan, so the Etruscans had never considered it a rival. The fact that they were now threatened by such a nation highlighted the gravity of the Kingdom of Etruscan’s current situation.

“Etruscan has no decent fleet. The peace of the seas is maintained by the Republic of Porto. With its own money. If we are attacked by Acereto, do you think the Republic of Porto will come to our aid? We’d be lucky if they don’t just applaud.”

The queen stared sharply at her astonished son.

“You’ve heard about the new galley fleet Acereto has built, have you not? At this rate, the number of galleys in Acereto’s fleet will double within five years. If Acereto uses that fleet to blockade just three of Etruscan’s ports, our entire nation will effectively be under siege.”

Queen Marguerite’s grim forecast of the future showed no signs of stopping.

“If Acereto lands from the south and pushes north, the army must stop them. That role was once filled solely by the Duke of Taranto. Now he is dead, and twelve-year-old Bianca of Taranto, who has no mother, is defending Taranto alone.”

“What about the other southern nobles besides the Duke of Taranto?”

“Did your suspicious father not personally disband their private armies and drag them to the capital?”

She was referring to the policies Leo III had consistently implemented to weaken the feudal lords and curtail their right to maintain private armies. Under Leo III’s reign, the old nobles had been transformed from lords ruling their own lands into court nobles serving in the capital—in other words, the king’s subjects.

“There are few feudal lords left who can mobilize military forces. And among them, those with loyalty to the king are practically extinct. Is that all?”

Queen Marguerite showed no warmth even toward her own homeland.

“The biggest problem is the Kingdom of Gallico to the north. No one can deny it. For the past three years, the Kingdom of Gallico has been pressuring us to return the Gaeta region.”

Three years ago was when Queen Marguerite’s brother, Charles VII, had passed away, and her nephew, Philip IV, had succeeded to the throne.

“But that is land you received as part of your dowry, is it not?”

“I know Philip well. That boy believes that everything within Gallico’s borders at their greatest expansion is his. Philip will not hesitate to go to war to reclaim lost territory.”

It was a cold assessment of a nephew she had watched grow up.

“Fortunately, for whatever reason, Philip has sent a marriage delegation to the capital this time instead of sending his knights to the border.”

Queen Marguerite spoke in a level voice.

“I am not the final decision-maker in these marriage negotiations. That authority lies with your father. But I imagine it will be very difficult for your father to refuse this offer.”

Her story was drawing to a close.

“Against Acereto, we might last half a year. If Gallico invades, San Carlo will fall in two months.”

The queen reminded her son, the prince.

“You have a duty, do you not?”

A monarch had a duty that preceded prudence, temperance, courage, and justice—the duty to keep his people safe and well-fed. A monarch could sometimes forsake moral obligations or be unfaithful. He could avoid challenges or have a cruel disposition. He would simply become a ‘cowardly monarch’ or a ‘tyrannical monarch.’ But the moment he forsook his duty to protect and feed his people, he was no longer a monarch.

“Luxury is a privilege only the strong can afford.”

Queen Marguerite grasped her son’s hand tightly. Prince Alfonso lowered his head.

“Your father and I are sorry that we failed to build a stronger nation in our time.”

Queen Marguerite’s final words were both a final blow and a pronouncement of the verdict. Prince Alfonso was silent. To fulfill his inherent duty, he had to give up his love. To carry out his responsibility, he had to stop his heart right here. If he could have protected his love by giving up his own glory, honor, fame, possessions, and privileges, Prince Alfonso would have chosen that path. But what he bore was a duty. A monarch had to protect his people. And Prince Alfonso was a man who had been born the eldest son of a monarch and had lived every waking moment to become one himself.

“Mother.”

When Prince Alfonso finally spoke after a long while, his voice was as cracked as rusted metal.

“I understand your words well.”

He let the words fall from his tongue very slowly, reluctantly, one syllable at a time.

“...Your son.”

A heavy resolve dripped from his voice.

“As the future heir to the throne, will fulfill his duty and will not forsake his people.”

***

After the prince departed for his own palace with his head bowed, a lady-in-waiting, Lady Carla, entered the queen’s veiled private chamber. She offered a warm drink to the queen, who sat silently before the fireplace.

“Mulled wine.”

“Yes. The nights have become quite chilly, so I prepared a taste of home.”

Queen Marguerite took a sip of the heated wine and once again gazed at the flames dancing in the fireplace. Lady Carla offered her comfort.

“It must pain your heart.”

“I feel sorry for my son. Of course, I do.”

She cupped the warm glass with both hands, as if to ward off a rising chill.

“What I feel most sorry for is the hypocrisy I showed him. I, of all people, have no right to speak of the people.”

With a look of pity, Lady Carla brought a wool shawl and draped it over Queen Marguerite’s shoulders.

“Was it not all for the sake of His Highness the Prince?”

Queen Marguerite nodded.

“My husband is fickle and suspicious. Though he may have only one choice, the path ahead for Alfonso will be neither easy nor safe. My son needs power to protect himself. I have buried it well at the Rambouillet Almshouse. I pray it will be of help when the time comes.”

“A powerful father-in-law will also be a mighty ally to the Prince.”

Queen Marguerite nodded again. Then, as if a thought had suddenly occurred to her, she asked Lady Carla.

“Ah, did you hear any news of your family from the attendants who accompanied Grand Duchess Lariesa?”

Lady Carla quickly bowed her head.

“It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace. The guard at Lesarte Fortress passed on letters from my father and brothers through one of the Grand Duchess’s attendants.”

Three years ago, during the succession crisis following the death of Queen Marguerite’s brother, Charles VII, Lady Carla’s family had been implicated in treason for supporting the king’s second son, the virtuous Prince Louis, and had been stripped of their noble title. Her surviving family members were all imprisoned in the notorious Lesarte Fortress. That was why she, once a highborn noblewoman, was now called only by her name, without a title.

“I am sorry this is all I can do for you.”

Queen Marguerite, too, had sided with the second son, Louis, rather than the eldest, Philip, in the war of succession. This was because she had judged that Philip, with his fickle temperament and cruel nature, could not be a good ruler. As a powerless queen in a foreign land, she had not actively intervened, nor could she, but the victorious Philip IV never forgave his aunt for not supporting him. Queen Marguerite now lacked the influence to recommend a pardon to her nephew.

“Not at all. I am eternally grateful that you have not forgotten someone like me.”

The fact that the Kingdom of Gallico had offered the daughter of Grand Duke Eudes de Valois in marriage to Alfonso was a gesture of reconciliation from Philip IV to his aunt. If Alfonso’s marriage went well, her relationship with her family might improve. Queen Marguerite handed a pouch she had prepared earlier to Lady Carla.

“It is not a large sum, but I put a little aside. Send it with the Grand Duchess’s people when they return.”

Objectively, it wasn’t a great deal of money. It was just enough to pay a small bribe to the guards at Lesarte and provide her family with enough food and fuel to survive the winter. It was not a sum that Lady Carla could not have afforded herself. But Lady Carla accepted the pouch with trembling hands, her eyes welling with tears.

“For someone like me…”

She repeated the words over and over, wiping away her tears.

“For you to show such consideration for a lowly person like myself. I am overwhelmed, Your Majesty. I am overwhelmed.”

Queen Marguerite placed a hand on Lady Carla’s shoulder and patted it gently.

“How could you be lowly? Without you, how would I have endured this lonely land?”

The queen smiled faintly.

“In a way, you are like a sister and family to me. Do not belittle yourself.”

When Queen Marguerite called her a sister, Lady Carla broke down completely, her body wracked with sobs. The queen tried to comfort her lady-in-waiting, but the sound of her choked weeping would not cease. And so the autumn night passed.

***

Two weeks later, Leo III’s entire court packed up and journeyed to the southern palace in the Taranto domain. It was their annual trip to welcome the winter. Grand Duchess Lariesa, who should have returned to Gallico long ago, had remained in San Carlo, citing ill health. Now, under the pretext of recuperating in a warmer climate, she was to travel down to the Taranto palace with Leo III’s court.

This was something that had not happened in her previous life.

The invitation from Prince Alfonso, who had promised to send one through Bianca of Taranto so she could join them to see the southern palace, never arrived.