***
Calden Castle
Lanercoast
The wedding between Prince Quentin and Lady Arabelle was held today.
A lavish feast has been prepared in the halls of Calden Castle with all the lords of the houses in Lanercoast invited.
After reciting the vows at the Calden City Cathedral, the wedding procession made its way through the city streets of Calden.
The people threw flowers, clapped their hands, and cheered happily as their Lady was married to someone from the royal family, Third Prince Quentin Reingard.
Arabelle and Quentin were in the front of the horse-drawn carriage, traveling ahead, followed by the people behind them.
There were dozens of horse-drawn carriages accompanying Lady Arabelle and Prince Quentin. They were as happy as the couple, as were the city folk.
"Is this as you planned?" asked Lady Arabelle.
Quentin was still smiling with his hand stretched out of the carriage window, returning the city folk's warm welcome to him.
"Since you asked, yeah. This is exactly as I planned," Quentin replied, speaking softly.
Arabelle gave a slight smile. She realized a marriage between nobles was a marriage of politics, not love.
She could love someone else but not marry him if he was not of noble lineage.
"I saved your face and your life. You will remain at Calden Castle as Lady Helferich," Quentin whispered.
"If I had not married you, you would have been married to someone else and lived in the man's house," Quentin replied.
"I know about that."
"Be grateful. Elite nobles should marry elite nobles," Quentin emphasized.
He turned his head to the left side, looking at Arabelle, who had already turned her face to stare focused at Quentin.
"A lowly noble must marry a lowly noble," replied Quentin.
"And then?" asked Arabelle.
"Commoners marry commoners. It's a folk tradition," affirmed Quentin.
Arabelle was speechless at Quentin's explanation, which contrasted sharply with his attitude towards the city folk who were welcoming him.
"How do you see your people, actually?" asked Arabelle.
Quentin fell silent, closing the carriage window and asking Arabelle to do the same.
The hearty welcome from the city's people was over, and now Quentin's carriage was headed to Calden Castle.
"They are only a small piece of the center of my rule. They will be completely loyal if we fulfill their stomach cravings," Quentin replied, crossing his arms.
"Commoners like them do not have the power to overthrow the authority," Quentin retorted.
"They're greedy, unstable, and easily tricked. Just give them a bag of gold, and their values and idealism will fade away," Quentin explains.
"Dealing with low-class nobles is more difficult than commoners but easier than dealing with elite-class nobles," said Quentin.
"What do you mean?" asked Arabelle. The woman was curious about everything Quentin said, especially about the commoners and their behavior.
Just when Quentin was about to answer Arabelle's question, his words were cut off by the loud shout of the Calden Castle gatekeeper who welcomed Quentin and Arabelle.
The horse-drawn carriage arrived at Calden Castle. One by one, the guests in the carriage began to walk into the castle, with the soldiers directing them to the main hall.
Lady Arabelle and Prince Quentin sat right at the middle table. It was higher than others so that people could see the figure of the future ruler of House Helferich.
The merchants and captains of armies began to take their seats. However, the representatives of the lower houses in Lanercoast had not yet arrived to greet Quentin and Arabelle.
Lord Edgar's hand shot up, asking the people in the hall to shut their mouths.
"SILENCE!" the soldier shouted.
"Your Lord will speak! SILENCE!"
Instantly, the crowd in the hall, which had been very boisterous with people's talk, fell silent with their attention fully fixed forward, looking at Lord Edgar.
"Thank you for coming to my daughter and nephew's wedding. Prince Quentin and Lady Arabelle," stated Lord Edgar.
"Their marriage will further strengthen the bloodline of the Helferichs and strengthen ties with other houses in Lanercoast," Lord Edgar emphasized.
"This month's marriage will be fortunate for them. Prosperous people, rich lands, and a stable economy."
"Their reign will be blessed by God!"
"God sees all!"
Lord Edgar glanced quietly to the side, nodding as he invited Quentin to stand. Quentin nodded, standing up from his seated position.
"On this moment. I, Lord Edgar Helferich from the House Helferich, name you Heir to the House Helferich!" Lord Edgar explained, raising Quentin's right hand up.
The coronation immediately attracted the attention of many people. They began clapping and cheering joyfully while calling Quentin's name clearly.
"Long live Lord Quentin!"
Quentin's popularity rose when he successfully resolved the suspense at the Avarde River. Many people said Quentin used Lady Sera to engage in diplomacy with Lorelei.
It was his ingenuity that made people admire Quentin's mind.
Quentin certainly wouldn't refuse the coronation, considering Helferich as important as any other house.
As he watched the people before him, Quentin's eyes caught sight of Lady Sera among them.
She was seated at the round table with Princess Mary and Lady Marcella. After staying here for a few days, Lady Sera began to get used to them.
It was time for Quentin to deliver his first speech to the whole place.
A speech in which Quentin should be able to encourage them by not revealing his actual plans.
"Helferich has managed to live independently without Castlebourne. We have large quarries, wide fields, and loyal people," Quentin emphasized.
"With these advantages and the economic chaos in the south, we will be a force to be reckoned with by the other great houses!" Quentin emphasized.
The people cheered again, toasting alcohol and joyfully celebrating Quentin's marriage to Lady Arabelle.
Prince Quentin sat back on the chair, glancing slowly to his left. He saw a servant standing holding a pitcher of wine.
Quentin nodded, instructing the servant to pour the wine into Lord Edgar's glass.
The waiter walked over, pouring the wine into Lord Edgar's glass. The man beside Quentin also showed no objection.
"This is good. Pour some more!" commanded Lord Edgar.
Quentin smiled a little, poured his own wine into his glass, and asked Lord Edgar to make a cheers.
Edgar drank greedily as if he was thirsty. Quentin enjoyed his 'pure' wine, with nothing contaminated inside.
"Keep the teapot. You may leave," Edgar told the servant girl.
The maid glanced shortly at Quentin. Quentin's cold silence meant the woman had better obey what Edgar said.
"This celebration is amazing. I can't wait for my first grandchild from you," Edgar pleaded.
Quentin chuckled at Edgar's joke.
Pouring his wine back into his glass, he helped Edgar to pour the wine from the pitcher into the old man's glass.
"I'm sure House Helferich's partner-satisfying abilities will not disappoint," Quentin quipped.
"I couldn't agree more! HAHA!" laughed Edgar loudly at Quentin's bold remark.
The two men raised a toast again, then again and again, until the drink in Edgar's wine pitcher was utterly empty.
Edgar's face was flushed, the effect of drinking too much wine.
He left the celebration being carried away by two well-built soldiers.
Edgar took an early rest from the celebration, even though the soldiers and merchants were still in the hall.
Quentin told the servants to call the performers to come and entertain the guests again to prevent any awkwardness.
They did precisely as Quentin told them to. Ten dancers in sexy outfits swayed their bodies with exotic dances to entertain the crowd.
Not a few of the soldiers and merchants danced with them, but none of them were allowed to fuck the performers.
"Keep your cock out of their thighs!" chuckled Quentin, accompanied by roaring laughter from the crowd, but Lady Sera did not join in the laughter.
Lorelei's tradition of respecting women made the dancer's performance sickening to Lady Sera's heart.
She stood up from her seat and left the celebration through the side passage.
Quentin squinted, noticing Lady Sera's change in attitude. But Quentin didn't care. He just needed to satisfy the crowd at his wedding celebration.
Prince Quentin moved his head to the right side, whispering to Lady Arabelle.
"See. Just fulfill what they want, and they will obey my orders," Quentin whispered.
"You are now the Heir of House Helferich. You can do anything just like Lord Edgar," interrupted Lady Arabelle.
"No, I don't. I still respect Uncle Edgar. I will not make any decisions without his approval," stated Quentin.
"You are truly wise, Lord Quentin," interjected Lady Arabelle.
Quentin smiled. He did not want to create chaos within Helferich, a dispute between the Lord and the Heir of House Helferich.
Even so, he had to create chaos in Calden Castle at the end of Edgar's reign. One of them was to break Lord Edgar's trust in Sir Colton.
'Now, only time will break their trust.'