“Good news everyone,” my father said at dinner. Everyone became quiet as we looked at him. “A suitable marriage has been arranged for my son and heir, Dereck Burnstock, to Princess Isabella Terander, first princess of the King of Terander,” he declared. 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 managed to go through,” Dereck said.

“There was also a considerable dowery. But the King’s Court won’t be looking to impose extra taxes on us for our little fight with Crownsmith. The King, Queen, first Prince, the first Princess, and her three younger siblings will be coming to our estate in two weeks and will be remaining here for the next month. I except everyone to be on their best behavior and courteous to them as our honored guests. They will be dining with us as well as future family,” the Duke said.

“And the rest of the King’s Court?” Greg asked.

“Remaining behind and are causing trouble in the capital for the most part. The guest house will be open to anyone of significant standing. Justin, due to concerns about your health and other incidents, I will be having a guard shadow you at all times,” 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 bringing along their own guards, servants, and retinue to the Burnstock estate. That was a lot of people. While they had been screened, there was always a risk with people that weren’t screened by our family. 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 had no doubt 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 incredibly large, and he controlled the biggest, 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 beneath 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 had no doubt they all thought of anything to do with my mother and went ‘nope’.

Only the desperate with nothing to lose, insane, or those wanting to try and stir up trouble would dare try something against me. If Crownsmith hadn’t been wiped out, they would never have attacked the estate. The royal guard had failed in their task and were committed to ending their lives trying to strike one last blow.

Other nations that hadn’t been completely destroyed would never take such a risk out of fear of reprisal. Even the most stealthy 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 in 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 a this. Women wanted to have children as early as possible before it became too hard and they gained levels to extend their lifespans. The Duke’s first wife was almost half his age.

While peasants and merchants might get married closer in age range to each other, for nobility, waiting until they were in their late 20s or early 30s was standard in order to get an ideal match. The woman would be able to have children, the inheritance was set, and my father would retire as Duke. I had no doubt that once the princess was born, this had been my father’s plan for his eldest son all along, since he was starting to get up there in years. Nobles tended to retire to avoid conflicts with younger generations and joined the King’s Court in the capital.

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My brother had to keep his level low to ensure he could have children easily. He was only level 20. After four to seven kids, he would be rapidly power leveled to level 60 along with his wife in the dungeon. Most children were likely to survive birth, but nobility wanted enough insurance regarding their family line with how dangerous things could get if a legend attacked them for some reason.

That was why my father only sent his other two children away and didn’t disinherit them completely. If the family had been wiped out in an attack, it would be able to be restarted and the Burnstock line and name would continue onwards. The social protocols of nobility were quite complicated, but they were designed to ensure stability and a smooth transition from one generation to the next. 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 completely disinherited to ensure there weren’t any issues with succession.

Many merchants and tutored adventurers came from this group of second, third, and fourth sons. After the marriage and once they had their first kid, my brother Greg would be kicked out and given a pile of money. He would be monitored, 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 was done so the nation could be guided with a steady hand, while ensuring 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 be a lot of drama. The eldest Burnstock had opinions about his son’s second marriage to my mother, which was a big reason why he never came back to visit. He strongly disapproved of the entire arrangement.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on whose side you were on, control of the family was passed down to the younger generation. There were too many historical examples of old men clinging to power, gathering resentment from a younger generation, at least in 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 basically one big retirement home for the nobility of the nation and it was called the Kings Court. They would almost never travel, preferring to enjoy their relaxation and luxuries the capital offered. So, while there was a huge amount of wealth and soft power, it wasn’t a happening city like Burnstock was, which was a trade and agricultural hub for the entire region.

“Will he be wanting to meet with 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 at that statement.

“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 would be too intimidating. Other nations might view it as a threat,” my father explained.

“So, it is going to be an international wedding?” my eldest brother and future groom asked.

“Yes. The King will insist, since it is a good opportunity to raise the prestige of this nation. I have no doubt he will be trying to attract some legends to come settle here,” my father said with a shake of his head.

Legends only spent a large amount of time at the Last Bastion and the College of Advancement. They were quite rare anywhere else. If they wanted to settle down, they wouldn’t have had the drive to go past level 100 in the first place. My mother was the rare exception.

Also, other nations would also offer favorable terms, trying to convince such power houses to settle on their land. Each legend a country had living there was counted as a deterrence from being wiped out. Not that it did much against someone of my mother’s level and power.

“I will be reviewing 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 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.

“There is an opportunity to marry into a noble family that lost their male line in Crownsmith. I have gotten a letter inquiring as to a marriage if you are interested?” my father turned towards Greg, my fourth half brother and the youngest not counting me.

“Really? Crownsmith? Aren’t they calling for our blood?” he asked.

“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.”

“I will have to review the Barony and the family. I am interested. I would 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,” he said to Dereck.

“I will think about it. Carefully,” he 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 kids, my father would pass along the title to him.

The one thing nobility was big about was having their bloodline continue onwards. I was more interested in going back into the dungeon and exploring and leveling up my skills. I wanted to be the best, like my mother.

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