Bab 230: Congress of Nobles Concludes
The King's goal of the Congress of Nobles, or the Congress of Tirana, as it was increasingly being called, was meant to redraw Albanian and Fermion fiefdom boundaries so they could balance each other and remain at peace.
The Congress of Tirana sought to Albania-Fermion dissolved animosity and reunite the people.
The king also took this opportunity to break up power political blocs and consolidate his power in Tirana. Allowing the monarchy to preserve the peace. However, merging two warring kingdoms was never easy.
In the morning, Will was invited to lunch with the king, new queen, Duke Francis vont Whitby.
As expected Will and Elizabeth's gift and the queen's amends were the talk of the town.
"Greetings your majesties, your grace," Will said bowing appropriately before sitting down.
"Greetings Earl vont Ballard, I hear the women of the town are still discussing my new gifts this morning," Queen Rosalind said giddy over the jealousy and hearing her name mentioned positively in social circles.
"I'm am pleased," Will said cutting into his whiskey pecan chicken.
"Let me tell you why you're here. The king and I met with the Merchant Guild leaders. They had a meeting yesterday and have petitioned the king. It seems your ploy worked," Duke Francis said.
"I' was happy to be of service," Will said.
"The petition asked that your patents on the casino, bank, horse track, theatre, and auction house be revoked within two years," the king said.
"That's fine with me, I was thinking of releasing my patents on those properties anyway," Will said.
"Then how do you want to proceed?" the Duke asked.
"I think, we should make a joint announcement that I relinquish my patents on those businesses. I'll also announce, I'm open to having three to four more casinos, and two auction houses and banks in Gadreel," Will said.
"Not scared of competition, huh?" the king smirked.
"Not in the least. I can always buy out my competitors," Will laughed.
"And you already control those businesses in Yorkshire, Guidon, Gadreel, Tirana…and now
Durres," Duke said.
"I don't own…thank you your majesty for your generosity," Will said.
"Due to your women's right charter idea working, and your swift agreement with releasing your patents; I bestowed you the property rights to the ornate horse track, largest auction house, wealthiest bank, best casino, and grandest theatre in Durres," the king said handing Will a stack of deeds.
"How familiar this seems," Will joked.
"I received word this morning, that your first trade ship has already returned," the Duke said.
"Yes, my fleet of trading ships are already scouring the ocean for trading partners.
I plan to head down to Durres tomorrow." Will said.
"Then before you leave, I have more good news! No doubt you already saw Envoy Christopher von Mueller. The Great Eastern Empire rejected our peace treaty, but accept our nonaggression agreement. Pending, certain obligations are filled on our end," the king said slyly.
"And I assume his imperial majesty wants more airships?" But I don't have any more wyvern cores. I used the last for the train," Will said as Bryson whispered in his ear.
"That is why I invited Earl Christopher von Mueller to join us for lunch," the king said.
"Will you should know, Earl Christopher von Mueller is heir to one of five great imperial ducal houses. Please watch what you say around him," Duke Francis warned.
"Greetings you majesty, grace, and lord," Earl Christopher von Mueller said in perfect etiquette and bowed after being announced.
"You have perfect timing, we were just discussing the nonaggression pact," the king said.
"Wonderful! First, let me congratulate Earl vont Ballard for increasing your rank and holdings. It's truly rare to see someone increase in peerage rank as fast as you.
Second, the nonaggression agreement does not hinge on your answer, despite what your king or Duke might have said. All his Imperial Majesty wants, is for your company to build 10 more airships.
For accepting his request, his imperial majesty shall pay you in wyvern cores and imperial coin. I currently have 15 wyvern cores in my possession. Ten are for the Imperial Airship Fleet, and the other five are for you. Or you can accept three wyvern cores, imperial coin, and trade duty-free at our ocean harbors," the envoy said.
Wyvern cores, imperial coin, and free trade; Will almost drooled over the officer. Will wanted another core to create a second train. Eventually, Will wanted to have two trains dedicated to North and South Fermion, that met in the middle, at Gadreel Station.
"I'll accept three cores, imperial coin, and trade duty-free in your harbors," Will said excitedly.
"I thought you agree to the last one as well. Starting next month, your flag shall be added to my house allowing you to gain imperial benefits. Alfred, bring the cores over," Earl Christopher von Mueller said.
Will opened the case, and saw 13 shiny wyvern cores, sitting like eggs in a carton. Will quickly stored them in his elven spatial ring.
"I'll sail the ships to Durres. Your vassals can refit them there and the crew shall fly them back to the Eastern Empire.
Your majesty here is the nonaggression pact signed by his Imperial Majesty Has Fredrick Maximilian XX," the envoy said. At which point Alfred gave the signed pact to Bryson, who handed it to the king.
With lunch coming to an end, Will took the opportunity to inform the men of his winter plans.
"Excuse me, but I would like to invite you all, to Kukes next year. I plan to host an Economic Forum. I plan to invite the world's most influential men to attend," Will said.
"Kukes, the small mountainous city. You plan to host your gathering there, why?" Duke Francis asked in confusion.
"It's beautiful and with plenty of entertainment there," Will said.
"According, to the reports. There's nothing there," the king said, asking Bryson to bring him all the reports on Kukes.
"There's nothing there yet! By the time my guests arrive it should be a thriving entertaining city," Will said.
"And Lezhe? What are your plans there?" the Duke asked.
"Nothing! The city is perfect. I'll make Lezhe, not Durres my summer home. If possible, I hope people don't follow me there," Will said.
After hearing that, the Duke and King looked at each other suspiciously.
"You don't have any plans?" the Duke asked in disbelief.
"My only plan is to play in the waves there with my children and grandchildren for two months out of every year," Will smiled. Lezhe was the perfect place to be lazy.
They were certain now, that something fishy was going on there. For Will to hide his intentions this sincerely, they all felt something important had to be there.
Hearing the 13th bell, the Lord Chamberlin announced, "It's time for the Territorial Adjustment, your majesty."
Saying farewell to the envoy and queen, Will followed the Duke and King to the great hall.
The Territorial Adjustment was the name for where hundreds of nobles would learn their fate. At the event, nobles would learn where their new territories were, or whether their current fiefs were expanded.
Some political blocks were only expanded and not redrawn like the Duke vont Whitby and Duke vont Khans' vassals. Many more nobles were allowed to keep their large territories, without the opportunity to expand, like Friendship Valley.
However, many nobles had already learned of their new fief and left before the wedding feast ended. For example, Earl vont Hanover left on the second day of the wedding feast. Others, like Vincent, left as soon as they learned.
However, that still left a large swath of land to redraw. The Congress of Tirana would no doubt be the most seminal event in Fermion's modern history. Not only did the congress redraw the map entirely. It also determined which fiefs would have a political existence over the next hundred years and which would not.
When he walked in behind the King and Duke, he saw the nervous faces of the men. Some men had bitten their fingernails to stubs. Others smoked their pipes compulsively. Many more rubbed their sweaty hands in nervously.
Over the past week, they had bribed, dueled, and sent his majesty many expensive gifts to gain his favor. Now, they'd learn the result of their work.
Around the room squadrons of Royal Guards were posted to protect his majesty in case someone went mad.
"Today we close our Congress of Nobles. Bryson pull the chord," the king commanded his chamberlain.
Will watched as a hidden mural revealed itself from behind a drape. The mural was a 3.5-meter map of Fermion, with various coats of arms drawn over cities. Will saw there in the middle of the country was his crest, a Silver Phoenix in front of crossed sword and magic staff, the phoenix held arrows and grain in its talons. And a much smaller version of his coat of arms was listed over Lezhe.
Will and saw Jason's fief had expanded it was now the size of a viscounty. He also saw Vincent's crest overtop Kukes and Earl vont Hanover's crest above Guidon.
To the southeast, Will saw Ahmed's ducal coat of arms was a white Unicorn standing on his hind legs. The background is split equally between green and blue.
Over Yorkshire, Korce, Tirana, and Duress was the king's two crowned griffin coat of arms. The crowned griffins stood on either side of the Royal Crest.
The Royal crest was a heater shield with four matching sides. Two matching diagonal sides had a white background and a blue arrow, encased in gold, pointing upwards to a golden sun. The other diagonal matching sides had a red cross over a white background with four golden fleurs-de-lis in each of the white squares.
On top of the shield was a knight's helmet that wore a bejeweled crown, with an ermine mantle. Around the shield is a red belt with gold embroidery that read, "Royal House Of Whitby Of Fermion. Under the shield was a banner that read, "From the Heavens to the earth beneath the Crown." Which reinforced the king's divine right to rule.
By the king assigning Governors to Yorkshire, Korce, and Durres he controlled the military and political power nodes.
The political losers were the old traditional powerhouses. The king replaced them with newer houses which depended on his support.
For example, Ryan vont Driskill was demoted to a landless knight. Unfortunately, the result was the same for Katherine's son. Her young son went from being Earl with vassals to becoming just a landless noble.
Will also saw that Francis II was appointed Governor of Yorkshire.
With Francis II governing the north, Will governing the middle, and the king reigning the country from the south. The king used his family to assert his dominance in another way. As long as Francis II, Will, and the king had good relations, who could threaten the king?
The king controlled the political and power nodes and regions.
The nobles looking at the map could see the crown's dominance through its use of governors and regions. The nobles could visually see what 'thoroughly conquered' looked like.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone