AN: Hello dear readers, and I apologize in advance for the long waiting time. This is due to the fact that I have a lot of work at the university, which prevents me from having any regular updates. However, I have no doubts that when this period ends, there will be a certain regularity.
I would like to thank all of you for receiving the series and reviews, it greatly encourages you to continue your work and create better and better chapters. I am very grateful to you because I did not expect such interest.
At this point, I'd like to thank Diabolos Aides, Swungant and ScolaTitanica for their reviews. I sincerely hope you will have fun reading these stories and the fate of the main characters.
Honestly, I already have a plan to expand and end the story that will not disappoint you. Before I turn to the story, however, I would like to inform you about a few points. First of all, Lucius and Monica will get Geass at some point, it's only a matter of time, but I won't reveal what their powers will be. Second, the original Knightmares will make an appearance in the story, and I hope you enjoy their specs and capabilities.
I encourage you to review the stories and make your own suggestions, and now I won't bore you anymore.
Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire
Aries Imperial Villa
Same Day
If Marquis Degwin Zabi were to list all the most stressful days of his entire life, the day of the funeral of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally would undoubtedly be one of them. Equally stressful was the night when Marquis, awakened from a pleasant sleep, learned about the murder of the Empress Marianne, or the day of Prince Lelouch's "confrontation" with the Emperor, in front of the entire court.
What worried the Marquis that day was the condition of the young Prince Lucius. His prolonged nervous breakdown and the weakness of the leader of the vi Britannia faction inevitably weakened his position. Degwin didn't even want to think about what would happen if the prince didn't show up at the party. Still, the Marquis had no way that if his prince's position weakened and the people stopped taking him seriously, then the Zabi family would inevitably be doomed.
Among the tribes of several generations, the Zabi family was regarded as a herd of unworthy upstarts who should never have been granted nobility, and Degwin should not have been given the rank of Marquis. The patriarch of the family had no doubts that soon his and his relatives' lives could become a real struggle for survival. As if they lived in the animal kingdom.
Still, an older and almost bald man stood proudly and quietly here in the middle of the Aries Villa ballroom. As an ally of Prince Lucius vi Britannia, he very often had the honor of being a guest within these walls. It was so, at least until one unfortunate night when his ally's mother was murdered. In all honesty, in his first instinct, Marquis was firmly convinced that one of the factions in the imperial court was responsible for the attack. Nevertheless, upon further reflection, he rejected the possibility, the attack seemed too precise for a group of spoiled nobles.
Aside from his perceptions of the bombing, Degwin watched the ballroom with considerable attention. In general, the entire villa of the young prince was rebuilt and the interior design was changed no less. The former simplicity combined with comfort and neatness has been replaced by a rich and dazzling splendor, combined with high-quality works of art. Nevertheless, all this was devoid of extravagant or vanity. As if every detail was to be important in a larger plan and fulfill a specific role.
While Marquis Zabi was to some extent charmed by the new Aries Villa decor, much of his attention was focused on the guests who were present at the party. Sam Degwin, came to the villa surrounded by his entire immediate family. The lineage of the marquis was in fact inextricably linked with the line vi Britannia, the entire future of the lineage of Zabi now depended on Prince Lucius, the last representative of that line and his actions.
In attendance was his eldest son, the Zabi child, and the empire's deputy prime minister, Gihren. Tall and strict man with black eyes, but at the same time extremely intelligent and calculating. In short, a man ideally suited to commune with the entire army of vipers, which undoubtedly were the nobility from the imperial court.
Also present was Dozle Zabi, the marquis's second son and a promising army officer with the rank of major. A man with an appearance very similar to a gorilla, but with a very sociable nature. Undoubtedly a gifted and rising star of the empire's army. Additionally, he was serious about his service in the army, as he was still wearing the uniform of a Britannian Ground Force officer at the time of the reception.
It was impossible to overlook the marquess's only daughter, Kycilia Zabi, now serving in OSI as a lieutenant and overseeing several secret intelligence operations. A red-haired, calculating and extremely ambitious woman, whose secret ambition was to control all the secret services of the empire.
The last and youngest representative of the Zabi family was young Garma. Chłopice, he was quite a kind and shy man, and he was also of the same age as Prince Lucius. The two had met several times at parties and on a few other occasions, but it was hard to talk about anything more than the cordial relationship between the two. Secretly, Degwin sincerely hoped that his youngest son would be able to successfully befriend the prince, if not now, in the near future, to cement the alliance between the Zabi clan and the Britannia vi line for good.
Looking at the fairly large number of guests, Marquis Zabi noticed several prominent personalities, such as Princess Cornelia li Britannia, who came here with her sister and her entire entourage, in the form of her Knight of Honor, Sir Gilbert Guilford, and the former commander of the Empress Victoria li Britannia Guard. Major Andreas Darlton. Degwin undoubtedly respected the princess for her talent as a warrior, commander and inspirational leader, but he had no opinion of her sister, because she was too young for Marquis to say anything about her. In all honesty, young Euphemia reminded him remarkably of his youngest son, Garma, who was a year older than her.
Clovis la Britannia, the Third Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire and the new Viceroy of Area Eleven were also present, along with his younger sister, Laila la Britannia, Fourth Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. Of course, with six royal guards. Honestly, Degwin has always been surprised at the cordial relationship between the descendants of the la and vi Britannia lines, especially considering the sheer hatred that Gabrielle's Empress had towards Empress Marianne and her children. Nevertheless, despite this fact, Marquis Zabi considered the third prince an outstanding and sensitive artist who should never have received any state office. Unfortunately, Prince Clovis was also a man who wanted to prove himself to all his more talented siblings, which was just another reason not to place him in any responsible position, and the Viceroy of Area Eleven was undoubtedly an important and responsible position.
In addition to members of the royal family, many industrialists, bankers and entrepreneurs could be seen at the party, but more than half of them did not have noble status. Honestly, the sight of such people in such great numbers reminded the Marquis of some nostalgic memories of his youth. Once upon a time, Degwin was little more than a burgher owning two small construction companies. This situation changed drastically during the Emblem of Blood period. By being initially one of the few supporters of the future emperor, who carried out many of his construction orders at record speed, Degwin was guaranteed a generous reward very quickly.
The future marquis was not the only one who benefited from the rise of Emperor Charles to power. Bismarck Waldstein, originally a descendant of a modest but respected line of distinguished servicemen at the rank of Viscount, was eventually elevated to the rank of Margrave and ranked among the Knights of the Round as first among the best. There was also the deceased Marianne Lamperouge, who came from the margins of society but was extremely talented. For many bloody merits, she became a Knight of Six and Imperial Wife, known from then on as Marianne vi Britannia.
As for Degwin himself, for his enormous support, he received many confiscated estates from the enemies of the new emperor, the title of marquis and thus nobility, and the emperor allowed his company unrestricted - apart from taxes - development, which ultimately resulted in the construction juggernaut, Zabi Entertainment. Degwin chose this name on purpose because his late wife wanted to be in the entertainment industry, but her death effectively prevented it. However, this reason was a secret that the Marquis did not reveal to anyone, not even to his children.
"Father." His eldest son, Gihren, spoke next to him. As always, his gaze and general appearance were stern. "I don't want to question your decision, but what are we actually doing here?"
"What do you mean exactly." The old marquis raised his eyebrows, not hiding his surprise at his son's unexpected question.
"Instead of wasting time on this circus called a funeral party, we should have started looking for a new and influential patron." He replied, a little softer than usual. So that only the Zabi family members can hear it.
"Thus, betray our main and, in fact, the only ally?" Dozle asked in surprise. Perhaps his appearance indicated a mindless brute, but it was only an appearance, concealing a man who was extremely loyal to his allies.
"It's not such a bad idea." Kycilia put in, not wanting to stay out of the way. "Prince Lucius is mentally depressed, extremely weakened, and his position could collapse at any moment. If we do not find a powerful patron, our heads may fall off our necks faster than we can imagine."
"It is true that the prince's position after this day may collapse and never rise again." At last Degwin spoke, he remained calm and with an ever-present mask that hid his anxiety and stress extremely effectively. "Such a risk is always present in any kind of power or influence struggle. However, as a wary man, I have several contingency plans."
All the eldest members of the family raised their eyebrows at this statement, evidently intrigued by the explanation of the patriarch of their family. Gihren, however, seemed to be slightly less interested than the others. Undoubtedly, the reason for this was that he had his own contingency plans in case of an emergency.
"The first, and most likely, is our smooth transition to the el Britannia faction. With the dynamics of court politics in mind, I have made the necessary preparations for a change sided by our family." He started the Marquis, but this was only one of several contingency plans. "If this does not work, we still have options for joining the de and ne Britannia coalition, for exile to one of the Areas, or for escaping to the EU. Although this last step is only provided for in a no-win situation."
Secretly, Marquis Degwin Zabi sincerely hoped that the implementation of any of the contingency plans would not be necessary, but the pressure of logic and brutal reality almost deprived him of that hope. On the other hand, the patriarch of the Zabi family thought - in some respects - extremely emotional, illogical. The young prince's mother was a commoner, as was Degwin. Both the prince and the marquis were still unspoiled and not devastated by the many privileges that life in the upper classes offered. Though it was entirely unsupported by logic, the Marquess hoped nonetheless that the power of low origin would outweigh and give the young prince enough strength.
Meanwhile, however, all three of the younger generation of the Zabi family listened to it with due attention, no one denied that they were feasible and well-thought-out plans. Gihren and Kycilia were satisfied with their father's forethought. Both were excellent schemers and behind-the-scenes players. Dozle, as a military man and essentially a man of honor, was not particularly thrilled with these plans, but even he did not protest. As for the youngest of the Zabi family, Garma did not pay any attention to their conversation. Instead, he was currently busy talking to ex-princess, Marrybell mel Britannia, and her friend, Oldrin Zevon, daughter of Countess Olivia Zevon.
Degwin did not mention - despite some sympathy - Princess Marrybell too well, mainly due to the fact that he was present during the farce. Just five months earlier, Empress Flora mel Britannia had lost her life in a bomb attack that also cost her younger daughter's life. The emperor discontinued the investigation, but Princess Marrybell did not intend to let it go. Like Prince Lelouch, she confronted her father in the throne room this time, and unlike her stepbrother, she did so using sound arguments.
The young princess argued that letting go of the second murder of the imperial spouse was a sign of weakness on the emperor's side. However, when the emperor stated that such matters were absolutely above him, the young princess did something that probably no one would forget. Former Britannian Princess, pulled a fairly large sword from under her dress, which was quickly pointed at the emperor. However, reactions did not take long, Sir Bismarck Waldstein, quickly and skillfully knocked the blade from the hands of the princess. In turn, the half-amused and half-furious emperor stripped her of the Britannian Princess status. In all honesty, Degwin was surprised that the emperor had not ordered the princess to be executed immediately.
"Ah, Marquis Degwin Zabi." Someone spoke to the old man, and he reacted almost immediately by facing the man who wanted to talk to him. This man quickly turned out to be the prime minister and the Second Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Schneizel el Britannia. Beside him stood the prince's ever-present assistant, Count Canon Maldini.
Degwin had great respect for this man. Even now, when the two men had not yet entered into a full-fledged conversation, the prince had a comfortable and friendly aura around him. As if that were not enough, Marquis was well aware of the prince's above-average intellectual abilities. What completed the image of the man known as the White Prince was his short blond hair and his distinctive - but devoid of even the slightest malice - smirk.
However, the awning was never fooled by this facade. He was well aware that the second prince was an extremely calculating man and dangerous to his enemies. For this reason, he was more than pleased with the vi-line and el Britannia coalition. Even so, there was still a concern in the Marquis's mind that at some point the two princes would fall for each other's throats. Although at this point, it was only a matter of a distant and unlikely future.
"Your Highness." The marquis bowed politely and not very vehemently, and his three offspring bowed with him. Nobody wanted to expose themselves to the wrath of a man who could potentially become their best resort.
"Relax, Marquis." The prince replied, somewhat amused by the situation. "A simple nod was enough, there is no need to make such bows."
"After all, it is absolutely unacceptable to lack etiquette and respect for a member of the imperial family." Degwin replied, not concealing a smile, at the prince's seemingly friendly demeanor. "However, I am curious about the reason for joining our humble family."
"Nothing special." The White Prince shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "I was just looking for someone suitable to start the conversation. Honestly, the rest of the guests here, despite their undoubtedly high level of reading and eloquence, are fit for it. Nevertheless, I prefer the presence of someone in particular."
"Your Majesty is extremely flattered." Affirmed at the words of the prince. "However, unlike many of the great and respected families, I am not easy to get drunk with fairly superficial flattery, Prince."
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, it does not in any way change the fact that here we are both standing here. Among the guests having a good time, even though the reason for this party is extremely sad." The second duke seemed genuinely moved by this fact, as well as by the reason for his presence at Aries Villa.
To be honest, Degwin was not sure at this point that this was a cynical and authentic game of the prince, intended to make him appear as a warm man in the eyes of his interlocutors. Or is it his genuine sadness, caused by the death of his half-siblings?
"Honestly, I'm extremely interested in what could happen here soon." He continued after a short pause, a small smirk returning to the White Prince's face. "There are so many potential options for what our future might look like, and it all depends on the next few hours." The prince sighed heavily, as if a bit disappointed in his present position. "It's so unfortunate."
"It's ironic in a way." He said the marquess directly, but after a while something else occupied his mind. There is no one person who should have appeared here obligatorily. "By the way, Prime Minister. Haven't you seen Duke Krushevsky's daughter?"
The question immediately caught the attention of the second prince, who also quickly realized that he had not yet seen the woman in question. "I haven't seen her that day, neither at the funeral, much less at the party." He replied after a short while, to which the Marquis frowned thoughtfully. "Honestly, this is unexpected, to say the least. Given the Duke's condition, she should have attended such an important ceremony to convince her ally of her continued allegiance to him."
Degwin still frowned. "Indeed." He stated in his voice, somewhat hoarse from the passage of years. "This is at least puzzling."
In all honesty, the Marquis had his own guesses. The first and most likely was the silent and yet undiscovered elimination of the entire Krushevsky family. An unsuccessful attempt on the life of the whole family was also possible, which could also have taken place recently, and therefore the news of him could not spread through the nobility. However, such an option was unlikely. Perhaps the Duke was disliked among the high nobility due to his alliance with the Peasant Line, but no one would dare to attempt an attempt on his life. The Krushevsky family was old and known for their enormous contribution to the development of the empire, both in the military and economic fields. An attack on members of such a family would only get away with a small group of people, which included the emperor and empresses, and a really small group of a few other people. However, even in the first case, such a crime would not have taken place without consequences. It is true that the struggle for power in the empire, both between nobles and the royal family, was extremely brutal and often either someone won or died in it, and his whole family with him. Nevertheless, the described situations concerned only extreme situations, when the state was seriously destabilized and all people in power began to let go of any inhibitions. However, in the present situation, when the state and its policies were stable, this would not happen.
"Marquis Zabi, Prime Minister el Britannia." An unexpectedly strong and decisive female voice spoke. Both Degwin and Schneizel turned where the voice was coming from. In the blink of an eye, the eyes of these two saw a tall and proud woman in her forties, clad in richly ornamented and perfectly made dresses. Her distinctive dark purple hair left no trace of doubt as to her identity. Victoria li Britannia, the proud and majestic Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire and one of the most beautiful women in the empire.
"Your Majesty." They both bowed to the empress with due respect, but were clearly quite surprised by this unexpected presence.
"It's good to see you two on this day." She replied to them after a moment, but was quickly noticed by their surprise. "However, something seems to me to be bothering you. Isn't that right?"
"Indeed." Degwin replied almost immediately. Then he mastered his emotions to look as presentable as possible. He was about to say something, but it was the prime minister who warned him, along with his silver tongue.
"Your Majesty, I am delighted to see you at the party. Nevertheless, the reason for your presence is no less of a challenge to me than the Gordian Fudge."
"Spare me all those unnecessary and false embellishments, premiere." The Empress rolled her eyes at his elegant style of expression. "Still, I will help you solve this problem." Her tone was extremely mocking and ironic, which was one of her most recognizable traits. "Actually, all I have to do is mention a certain blonde and pompous cow who, in all her arrogance, thought her inept son would be the perfect candidate for emperor."
With great difficulty, Degwin kept himself from chuckling, even years of practicing his own body language had been seriously put to the test. However, the prime minister did not hide his feelings and allowed himself to chuckle. The sharp and unnecessary embellishments Empress Victoria's language was something very characteristic to her and was a brand in itself.
"So it's about showing your support of the vi Britannia line to prevent the blonde woman you deign to call a cow from dominating politics." It did not take the prime minister even a fraction of a second to deduce the real motivations behind the presence of the empress. "Does this automatically mean that li Britannia has decided to join the el and vi Britannia coalition?" He asked with curiosity as well as with the silent hope of gaining another ally in the struggle for power.
In all honesty, Degwin was impressed by the intellectual prowess of the young prime minister. Few people would be able to be as persistent players on the political scene as Schneizel el Britannia. Especially considering the fact that this man was merely a new adult, which should practically - in theory at least - eliminate him from the possibility of making a political career at such a rapid pace. However, it was one of those cases where theory had no meaning at all, at least as far as the actual state of affairs was concerned. The young prince successfully overcame all obstacles and adversities, in dullness and with effects worth recording in history. The Marquis's further deliberations on this subject were, however, interrupted by the Empress.
"An extremely tempting and good-natured offer, Schneizel." She stated with undisguised and clear amusement, as well as an undoubtedly mocking smile on her extremely plastic and emotionally prone features. Then her smile turned overtly malicious. "But I am forced to decline. Perhaps the offer is extremely tempting, but that does not change the fact that in the current balance of power, li Britannia would become a vassal of the vi and li Britannia."
"Not necessarily." The prime minister strongly denied this. "Perhaps the strength of the li Britannia lineage is not ..." For a moment he searched for a proper and not offensive word to express it appropriately. "As impressive as one would expect from such illustrious personalities within it. However, it does not change the fact that my dear sister Cornelia is extremely gifted in military and tactics. I have no doubt that she would be more than capable of doing it." win an extremely strong position in the army of our great empire. " The prince's smile was an apparent display of pure kindness and cordiality, but in fact it hid a calculation and a reasonable dose of cynicism, which, however, was not a well-known person outside his personal circle. "I have no doubt that a good political player would accept this proposal. At least for his own safety."
The Empress laughed at the Prime Minister's last words.
"I have no doubt that if I were a good political player, I would have accepted this offer without hesitation." She stated, still amused and at ease. However, the prime minister and the marquis immediately understood what he was headed towards. "However, I'm not." She said extremely dry and rough, thus leaving no room for understatement. "That is why I reject this extremely generous offer. First, because of my modesty and moderation. Second, I only speak to one of the coalition leaders and an inferior Marquis. I do not see Prince Lucius, one of the leaders of this supposed coalition anywhere."
"Your Majesty, I assure you that Prince Lucius is still a co-leader of our coalition." Schneizel responded to her accusations with stoic calm, thus not losing control of themselves and the situation. "Despite his young age, he has shown many times an excellent mind and political sense. I have no intention of cutting off the leadership of someone who may one day be my equal, both in skill and in terms of power."
Degwin frowned at the Prime Minister's words. Although he had no doubts that the prime minister was honest after all, he was unable to logically explain his behavior at that moment. From his observations of the prince's behavior and manners, Degwin made a rather unexpected and at least strange conclusion that the prime minister often tries to make choices and actions that may have the most interesting consequences and effects. It was utterly illogical and incompatible with the cold calculating mind of the White Prince, but still, it was hard to argue with the brilliant results a young prince had almost always achieved.
"Should I believe it?" The empress asked, with raised eyebrows and a mocking tone of voice. There was no doubt that her faith in the Prince's sincerity was, at best, little. "Why would you allow such a powerful force to arise, premiere?" She asked, her eyes extremely alert, one hundred percent focused on the prince. However, nothing came of this situation.
"Dear guests!" From the top of the stairs in the ballroom, one of the lackeys who worked in the villa thundered with dignity and significance. He was an older man, approaching retirement, but whom Degiwn had known for several parties at the villa. "I am honored to announce His Highness, Twelfth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lucius vi Britannia. And daughter of the Duke Krushevsky, Monica."
Everyone turned to the butler with distinctly different reactions. Quite a large - and perhaps the overwhelming - of all the gathered guests were genuinely intrigued by the appearance of the prince. Some of the gathered people started gossiping rather maliciously about joining the Prince and daughter of Duke's party at the same time. The last part of the guests - which included the Marquis Degwin and his family - were the ones to whom a heavy stone fell from their hearts due to the Prince's appearance. The last category consisted overwhelmingly of either the duke's recently elevated to the noble status or of the bourgeois supporters of the line vi Britannia.
It didn't take long in the river for the prince to appear at the top of the steps, and Lady Monica Krushevsky was a few steps behind him, dressed elegantly and adequately to the situation. The butler made his way to his master very quickly, then bowed with the greatest possible respect. Twelfth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire was dressed in presentable and fashionable clothes. He was wearing a dark green and extravagant suit with gold ornaments, and a rather long and flowing coat, similar in color and with similar decorations as the suit. It was at this point that he seemed more than worthy of replacing the present emperor on the throne of the empire, all despite his very young age.
Initially, the Marquis came to the conclusion that the rumors about the prince's condition were definitely exaggerated, and that he himself was in a much better condition than one might imagine. However, looking at the young prince a bit closely, Degwin discovered that the prince had a fairly large layer of powder applied under his eyes, which was likely to mask any dark circles under his eyes. In addition, his skin - despite the use of a fairly large layer of powder - seemed to have a fairly pale and not very natural shade. As if all this was not enough, the prince's waist showed slight malnutrition. However, all these are small details that are very difficult to see. In all honesty, Degwin doubted that anyone but himself and Prince Schneizel realized that the prince had just recovered from a nervous breakdown.
"Friends and honorable guests." He began, then spread both hands in a cordial and theatrical - at the same time - gesture that seemed to some extent to produce the desired effect. "I am extremely grateful for your presence at this extremely sad and non-existent ceremony. It is an extremely difficult subject for me, as well as for all my relatives." At the same moment, his particular gaze fell on the siblings of Li Britannia, and they noticed this and immediately nodded back.
"However, while the occasion of the party is extremely sad, it cannot be denied that it is already a matter of an unregulated past." For a moment the prince refrained from continuing and allowed his words to echo among all the assembled, as well as allow the guests to process her. "A past that we have no influence at the moment, and which we can only accept and move on."
At that moment, all those gathered looked at the prince with extraordinary interest and listened carefully to his every word. Degwin was no exception at this point, and he eagerly waited for every next word from the prince, as he realized that this speech would be extremely crucial in the future. The Marquis experienced many key moments in his life, so he was able to spot such moments and determine what consequences it may have for him in the near or distant future.
"Let me put it bluntly, we cannot reject what has taken place. Nor should we dwell on it endlessly, because it will not do us any good, and all the more useful." He continued on, and his tone of voice seemed to fit perfectly with the actor in the theater who was just playing one of the roles in front of the audience. "Some of you have heard rumors that I was stuck in the past and pondered it. Perhaps some of you either believed or fueled the rumors." The words had an immediate reaction among the crowd, some of them panicked to some extent, but not the Marquis and his family.
"I don't blame you for this. Let me say more, I understand perfectly well why some of you did this." The prince once again let his words hang over all the assembled guests. Then he continued.
"I know that you were afraid and I understand it perfectly well, because I shared this fear with you. The last days, weeks, months, were a very difficult time for all of us. A time of great challenges that we had to deal with. A time of great uncertainty about the coming future and the changes the future would bring for all of us. A time when none of us could feel completely safe. "
The prince did not even have to make another pause, because all those gathered perfectly understood his words, as well as agreed with their content. Indeed, it was an extremely difficult time for the allies of Lucius, great stress and often exorbitant effort to be able to maintain their power and thus alive. For the great majority of these people, keeping up with their power was not just a matter of their lives, but also of the lives - and often most of all - of their families. The Marquis Zabi was one of those people who wanted to keep his family alive.
"However, this time is slowly coming to an end, my friends!" He announced this voice with a raised voice and full of youthful enthusiasm which he shared with all those gathered. "Today I declare to you that here I am, in full strength and ready to co-command the vi and el Britnnia coalition. We are one of the greatest forces in the empire, but we have no less strong opponents. However, our enemies are, in most cases, the old aristocracy, whose representatives for years they basked in luxuries, power and all luxuries. They spent many generations in numerous privileges, by the way ignoring everyone below them. But what is their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness."
Everyone started shooting confused glances at each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Degwin saw the prime minister's brow furrow as he considered what his half-brother had just said. For his part, the Marquis Zabi also began to reflect on the words of the young prince. It was clear that on the side of the hostile coalitions there were representatives of very old families who were highly respected at court and in politics. They had everything, power, money and influence in the country, everything passed down from generation to generation. Why would that be their disadvantage. But then, Degwin thought about his way to the present point, and began to understand the meaning of Prince Lucius' words.
"You probably understand it already, so I will say what most of you have thought right now. Our opponents do not have the determination and therefore the strength that is necessary to maintain their power at the moment. A privilege, the best of man-made poisons, it has effectively weakened their will for generations, until they have become just lousy shells that might as well be dead! They have no determination to stop us, the rising stars of our empire. Then he raised his right hand up and clenched his fingers into a fist. "They have no right to decide the future of the Britannian Nation. This undoubted honor to shape history and the future belongs to us, people who have the determination to change and conquer the world. We are the future, we will shape it and we will do it until we shape a golden age of abundance for the next generations! All Hail Britannia! "
It was enough, although the prince was only a child slowly entering adulthood, his charisma and influence on all people around him had the desired effect. The first who - to everyone's great surprise - raised his arm up and clenched it into a fist with all his strength was the young Garma Zabi.
"All Hail Britannia!" He screamed in his childish voice and was followed by all those gathered, who also began making gestures and chanting.
Soon the whole hall chanted "All Hail Britannia!" and everyone did it with great enthusiasm. Degwin joined the chants as well, along with the rest of his family. However, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a few rather important details in some of the guests. The Empress seemed a bit unhappy, as was her eldest daughter, which was undoubtedly related to the use of the funeral party to gain political capital. The youngest of the empress's daughters, Euphemia, seemed completely confused by the situation and did not know what to say. The prime minister seemed pleased with his stepbrother's speech, while his assistant retained restraint in his expression. Also Lady Monica, standing a few steps behind Prince Lucius, seemed to be pleased with his speech.
For his part, Degwin continued to watch everyone around, carefully judging all visitors. Most of them - including the Marquis's family - were most satisfied with the way the party was held. Degwin himself was also pleased, because it turned out that the man with whom he had tied his fate a little more than a year ago turned out to be more than capable of being one of the leaders of the vi and li Britannia coalition. The Marquis was not yet sure which direction the prince would lead them, but he had no doubt that they were headed for a bright future.
AN: That's all for my part, I bid you farewell and have a nice day.