Lord Cedric Arkwright was not a man who would've normally been destined for success. He had been the illegitimate third son of the Archduke Arkwright, a powerful Southern noble, from one of his concubines. The inheritance laws of the Holy Roble Kingdom were like the rest of the human world, where the eldest son inherited everything, and the others got at most, their father's blessing and in many cases not even that. This was to prevent large estates from being torn apart- after all, no matter how big the fortune or kingdom, say, once it has been split seven or eight times over a period of three generations, what was once a glorious empire becomes but a petty fiefdom.
And so it would've unfortunately been for him as well, that is to say, he would've gotten nothing- if not for two grand strokes of fortune. One, his first brother, the legitimate heir to the Arkwright household, had died three years earlier in a freak fishing accident. Many people thought that it had been his second brother, Diggory, who had been the one to orchestrate the accident, but he had never been implicated in it directly, as such, Diggory had risen to the position of heir to the household. As part of such, he had been sent to the capital in the North to get the Holy Queen's approval (as well as some other noblemen) for the same, as well as to ingratiate himself with influential members of the Holy Queen's Court.
Unfortunately for him, it seemed that the gods had a strange sense of humor, either that or he had just gotten his comeuppance if he had been the one to kill Cedric's first brother, because the so-called Death Emperor had chosen to strike at that very time. No corpse had been found even now, so it could only be assumed that he was dead.
And so, Cedric had inherited his father's title given there was no one else to challenge him- his father did have two daughters, but they were ineligible to inherit the household, of course, while there was still a male heir.
Unlike a certain idiotic third son from the Re-Estize Kingdom, Cedric was still educated somewhat as his family was quite wealthy. He was also a First Tier Arcane magic caster, though this was not significant enough to change his status by much.
As such, he understood the gravity of the current political situation.
The Death Emperor had been killed- or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had been 'destroyed.'
Many rumors were circulating about events in the North, most of them too crazy to be believed.
That the Holy Queen was actually undead and was being puppeteered- this was almost certainly false as the Temples would've detected it. That there was a powerful necromancer in the North that had kept the demi-humans at bay; this was somewhat plausible as while necromancers were usually shunned there were stories of Adventurers who were necromancers, like the old lady from the Re-Estize Kingdom who was said to have been one of the Thirteen Heroes.
One would wonder though, why this hypothetical necromancer, if he really existed, had not intervened earlier before the North had been ravaged so badly. The craziest rumor, and one that was most certainly slander, was that Remedios Custodio, had turned into a necrophiliac. This was unfathomable, while the South did not have a high regard for her due to her allegiance and blind loyalty to the Holy Queen, not to mention there was also the unfortunate fact that she was a woman, she was still a pillar of justice and light, and one who could be relied on the defend the Holy Kingdom.
He was not concerned with rumors, however. The North had been greatly weakened, and the South's armies and infrastructure were mostly intact. They had not been able to make a coup de grace to save the North, and thereby gain credit for the same, but the time was ripe for them to place political pressure upon the North.
However, the North's behavior was a complete one-eighty from what one would expect in their situation. The Holy Queen had levied an extra tax on the South and the South alone, to pay for the North's rebuilding while cutting taxes on the North! In a time when the South was stronger than ever this was akin to slapping them right in the face, and she refused to give way to any of concessions to the South that they demanded, such as an abolition of the inheritance tax for the South (Cedric was quite keen on seeing this law passed).
The South had attempted to also petition that Remedios have her gear stripped from her- this was a blatant move to reduce the Queen's power, but was pitched as a 'punishment' for Remedios allowing the Holy Queen to be kidnapped. Such a tactic had worked in Re-Estize against Gazef Stronoff, who had mysteriously died protecting a frontier village if reports were assumed to be correct. It was expected that the Holy Queen would protest but eventually give in to this request, and that Remedios might scream in fury, but be unable to do anything about it with it being a court matter of course. Remedios was a titan when it came to actual combat, but on the battlefield that was politics, she was but a child- no, there were many talented noble children who could probably outmaneuver Remedios when it came to politics.
Instead, the Holy Queen had just smirked, treating the petition as a joke while dismissing it with a wave of her hand, while Remedios had not even taken the slightest bit of umbrage with it- instead just rolling her eyes in undisguised contempt at the nobleman who had proposed the idea.
Aside from that, the Holy Queen had made some truly ridiculous decisions even if one completely disregarded her favoritism of the North, such as abolishing the draft completely. Without that, how would they man the Wall? Without the draft, how would the peasants gain the little training they had to act as soldiers when the next wave of demihumans inevitably came crashing through the Wall a few generations later?
The Holy Queen reportedly spoke with such airs, as if the North was enjoyed complete superiority to the South rather than being a mishmash of broken cities and even more broken men.
Did she have such confidence because of that Paladin Grandmaster, Remedios? Even if Remedios still had her gear she was at most as good as two thousand soldiers, and the South could easily muster up a hundred thousand men if it came to blows, more than enough to run completely roughshod over the North.
No, Queen Calca had had Remedios' backing even before the Wall fell, and yet her arrogance and surety seemed to have increased threefold for some reason. It was as if she did not fear military retaliation from the South whatsoever.
The South had initially intended to slowly put pressure on Queen Calca, as it should've been obvious to anyone with eyes that the South had a massive advantage. This would involve things such as increasing taxes on the North and subsidies for the South as well as forcing her to relinquish some of her power. However, Queen Calca acted as if it was she who held the military advantage.
Cedric's father was currently on his deathbed; healing magic could only do so much and could do nothing against aging, as such, Cedric had inherited all of his father's titles de facto already, it was only a matter of time before the old man passed away and his position was recognized de juro. However, that meant that Cedric was still in a position to act along with other like-minded nobles of the South to rectify this political situation. And he would prefer to do it quickly, before the inheritance tax bill came, and while the North was still weak.
To Lord Seron of House Grayson,
The Queen's recent decree imposing higher taxes upon our lands is but another example of her encroachment upon our sovereignty. It is clear that her rule no longer serves the people but rather seeks to bolster her own power and wealth at our expense by empowering the North, where her support is the highest. The discontent among the common folk of the South grows by the day with the increased taxes, and it is our duty to channel this unrest into a force capable of toppling her regime.
I have received reports that her spies are growing more active. We must be cautious and ensure that our communications remain secure. I trust that you are taking the necessary precautions to prevent any leaks. Our unity is our strength, and it must be preserved at all costs.
Prepare for the signal. Our time will come soon.
In unity,
C
To Lady Elara of House Windmere,
Your recent letter has been received, and I am heartened by your unwavering commitment to our cause. The support of House Windmere is invaluable, and your strategic insights have already proven to be of great assistance. The map you provided detailing the Queen's current troop deployments will be instrumental in our planning. I also thank you for rallying some of the other likeminded discontent nobles of the North, their information could not be more valuable even if their words were inscribed on adamantite itself, and rest assured that they as will you, of course, be protected after the guillotine falls upon the Holy Queen's neck.
We must act with precision. The element of surprise will be our greatest asset. Ensure that your forces are well-equipped and prepared for a swift strike. Our initial actions will determine the course of the rebellion, and we must strike decisively to prevent the Queen's forces from countering our efforts effectively.
Thank you for your bravery and dedication.
With gratitude,
C
To the Honorable Lords and Ladies of the Rebellion,
The time for whispers and hidden agendas is over. I have secured a meeting with our most trusted allies, where we will finalize our strategy and set the date for the uprising. It is imperative that all of you attend and bring any final intelligence or resources you have gathered.
Remember, the strength of our rebellion lies not only in the might of our armies but also in the clarity of our purpose. We fight not for ourselves alone but for a future where our children can live without fear of unjust rule. Our unity and resolve must remain unshakable, no matter the challenges we face.
Prepare for the coming days, for they will be filled with trials and sacrifices. But know that our cause is righteous and our victory, though hard-won, will be a beacon of hope for all who seek freedom.
In unwavering determination,
C
To Sir Edmund of House Blackwood,
It has come to my attention that there may be dissent among the ranks. I understand that fear and doubt can plague even the most steadfast heart, but I must remind you of our shared vision and purpose. We have all risked much to stand against the Queen's tyranny, and now is not the time to falter. As one of the most prominent houses of the North, without your support our movement would be all the more difficulty.
If there are concerns or reservations, bring them forth immediately. We must address any issues openly and ensure that our rebellion remains strong and united. The price of failure is too great, and we cannot afford to let internal strife undermine our efforts.
Stay vigilant and resolute. Our cause depends on each and every one of us.
In camaraderie,
C
To All Allies in the Rebellion,
As we stand on the brink of insurrection, I send this final missive with a heart full of hope and determination. The preparations are nearly complete, and our plan is set into motion. The time for action is upon us.
Let us rise together, not as disparate noble houses, but as a unified force driven by a common purpose. The Queen's reign will come to an end, and Roble will be reborn under the banner of freedom and justice. Let us carry forth our vision with honor and bravery.
I look forward to seeing you all in the coming days, when our resolve will be tested and our dreams of liberation realized.
For freedom and justice,
C
He sighed as the last letter was written and taken by a trusted aide. Organizing things was a headache, organizing things in secrecy was an even bigger headache.
Alas, he would not need to scheme for much longer. The day was soon upon them when they would knock that pretender off of her throne.
Two days later, Lord Cedric would go missing after embarking on a hunting trip. Neither he, nor the retainers who had went with him were ever seen again. Curiously, such incidences happened all over the Holy Roble Kingdom to many noble houses all within the span of a few days of each other, though more so in the South than the North.
Many theories were proposed as to why this had happened, though the official story from the Holy Queen's court was that these unfortunate incidents were due to rogue demihuman factions that had managed to hide within the Roble Holy Kingdom.