Author notes:
The start of the month has been quite crappy, I had to pay the additional internet bill and then noticed that my income has gone down nearly a hundred USD. Feelsbongouman
While it has been unfortunate, I can understand why it happened in the first place. I can only strive myself to be better and better than before.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and the pictures! Do comment your thoughts! I will try to reply to them as fast as I can!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZgkRa3UQhqKQBi9
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Three weeks after the world has gone insane. Duchy of Indochina.
In a certain Ducal Palace that belongs to the Fesch bloodline, a family meeting of sorts is being held behind closed doors. Lying in the king-sized bed with a thick wool blanket covering everything below his neck is Duke Joseph Fesch. Sitting by the bedside is his wife, Audrey Fesch, while his sons, Manon and Bastien, are standing dutifully behind the mistress of the house.
Joseph has called for a family meeting, mostly with the boys with Audrey being there to support him. With the lasting damage inflicted upon their Indochina colony, Joseph called his sons to delegate them a task. Faking a cough and a deep intake of air, Joseph starts speaking with a mock effort.
"My sons... It has come to my attention that... A recent calamity has befallen our land." His next words grab the attention of both Manon and Bastien. "Houses were swept away, an entire section of a city collapsed... Lives had been lost, and the livelihood of the populace... Is at stake."
A coughing fit interrupted Joseph. The most genuine frightened expressions on his sons' faces proved to the Duke that his acting skill hadn't gone rusty at all. As Audrey starts wiping the spit on her husband's lips, Joseph says. "Thank you, my dear... Now, where was I?"
"You were talking about the citizens under our rule, dear father." His eldest son, Manon, answered clearly, but slowly for his ailing father to hear.
"Ah... Yes. I was talking about that..." Joseph slowly nods. "You see, my sons... Our governorship over Indochina has been stable and long-lasting thus far. Answer me this... Do you know why we could rule over them without being overthrown?"
This time, it's Bastien who responds immediately. "It has been because of our family's effective leadership, father."
"Quite so..." Joseph nodded with a thin smile. "But it's not a full answer, Bastien. Manon, give me your answer."
"Perhaps it's because we coexist with the locals, father?" The eldest replied.
Joseph fakes a laugh. "When both answers are combined... They become the secret behind our successful ruling of Mainland Southeast Asia. As the ruling body, we must make wise decisions to ensure the positive development of the territory. Yet, it's the ones being ruled... that get the right to support our decisions or not. Make all the plans you want, but if the populace is against you at every step of the way... The lands you rule will crumble, piece by piece until there's nothing left. Now, what this means to us, is that with each plan we make, we have to take into account the... Hearts and minds of the citizens. By ensuring a win-win outcome for all parties involved, we can reach a tenuous balance that ensures peaceful coexistence between the rulers and the ones being ruled. With peaceful coexistence achieved, both sides can then start supporting each other to achieve greatness... Or to support the other if one is facing an ongoing disaster. Do you two know what I am getting at?"
The two sons nod, leading Joseph to continue. "Good... For years, the Kingdom of Ustio has been the one to enjoy the riches of Indochina... And while our family has strived to ensure proper remuneration is paid to the... Citizens that extracted the very lifeblood of their lands... It won't be enough to let them rebuild what they've lost in the calamity. Now, I think it's time to give some of the riches back... Henceforth, heed my order, Manon Fesch, and Bastien Fesch..."
Getting onto their knees, the sons bow their heads ceremoniously, awaiting the words of their father. "My dutiful sons... My proud children... Indochina has been swept with a never-before-seen catastrophe that left citizens weeping, homeless, and dying. With the power given to me by the Ustian throne... I hereby give you the orders to aid the citizens of Northern Indochina in rebuilding their lives, reclaiming the lost lands... And restore the proud Eastern Jewel of Ustio."
"We hereby obey!" Manon and Bastine exclaimed, earning them both a nod from Joseph. He beckons his sons to stand up before saying.
"Good... Good... Southern Indochina, a region hit the hardest by a tsunami wave, will be handled by me, personally." The notion immediately garners objection from the boys. "But father! Your health-!"
Joseph silences further protests. "Enough, boys! I've made up my mind... I may be sick, but it doesn't mean that I am useless on the field. The Southern area, especially Cochinchina, is now in ruin. What kind of leader am I if I lay in my comfy bed, while others can't!" Joseph coughed before saying. "But... your worries for me are noted. My tenure in the South will be accompanied by your mother and sister. They will be helping me through day-to-day tasks."
Joseph stops before eyeing his sons. "... This means that the rest of Indochina will be yours to command. Consider this a test of your mettle. Don't fail me, don't fail the throne. But more importantly... Don't fail the people." The Duke warned. His words cast the full weight of responsibility on the sons' shoulders. The implication of this is far-reaching for the boys with their more immediate concern being the future of their budding factions.
The subsequent conversation has been more reminders and instructions before Joseph dismisses the boys. With them bidding their father good health and goodbye, Joseph is now left alone with Audrey. Being a silent and caring wife all this time, Audrey moves to check the privacy of the room before signaling to Joseph that the coast is clear. And with that, Joseph removes the blanket before jumping off the bed. Stretching his arms and legs, the Duke goes back to be the strong man of the house. This is a side of him that only Audrey has been privy to currently. Even with the miracle drops that their daughter Angela came across last Christmas, the pair still decided to continue the ruse to fool everybody else.
Audrey speaks up before Joseph. "Alright husband, you did well. Now that the boys got caught eating hook, line, and sinker, we only need to let them cook."
Joseph nods. "With half of Indochina as their sandbox, the boys will soon make overt moves that are gonna give us a just cause. I reckon that by the time they rear their heads to strike back at our regime, the troubles back home would have been settled and Ustio will have enough strength and backing to stamp their factions down. We just need to hold our own until then."
Hearing that, Audrey says. "It's surely doable for us with your skills. But it's as you have said, the people are an integral factor at play here. With enough preparation, they can rally half of Indochina against us."
"Then it's important that we make sure it doesn't come to that. Angela follows us for a reason. It's high time she gets to learn our way of rule in this corner of the world." Joseph responded.
Audrey raises an eyebrow at that. "You want her to be a prominent figure in such a time?"
Joseph nods. "Under our supervision, yes. She needs to learn about the people, firsthand. She needs to know what we're doing, to understand the eventual confrontation between ideologies. Manon is smitten with communism. Bastien dancing to the strings of the Japanese. Angela will have to pick what she is representing for soon or she will be swept away by the machination of higher powers. We won't be around all the time to protect her. Though if she chooses to side with the Reformists like we are, then it's all the better."
Audrey sighs. "You know I can't say no to you, so I guess the best I can do is to make sure things don't go off the rail. I already failed to educate my sons, I won't fail Angela now."
Joseph smiles, grasping in the hands of Audrey. "Thank you, my love. What would I do without you?"
"You silly man," Audrey giggles. "But I need to go to help Angela prepare. If I recall correctly, we will be traveling by sea, are we not?"
"That's right. I will bring along our elite units and our navy down South. The excuse will be that we're going to need them to rebuild the coastal regions. That way, the boys won't have access to heavy artillery any time soon."
Audrey nods. "A sound plan."