Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 404: Linchpin (3)

After the coronation even the fighting spirits of the lords in the east and west dulled down and probably at last they made their mind to acknowledge Arial instead of fighting a losing battle, and prolonging the devastation.

They became Arial men and honoured by the gifts that Arial granted them as they received again their lands and nobility titles but Arial had said to these lords that he will redraw back the borders and the name of each region to be consolidated into the new Empire.

Other chief men from the south also submitted and received their lands and honours again. 

It became Arial policy in his early rule in a region so foreign to him to act as Emperor even where he had no means of carrying out his Imperial orders. 

He also granted a county in former Freya, now under the dominion of the Emperor to Pedro Giovanni one of the exiled Four Families who is known to be a close friend of Diego Botticelli to keep the peace and prevent rebellion from happening while Pedro family will act as hostage in Eden.

Arial knew that while he held power in name truthfully it does not mean he yet have full authority and control. 

Arrandy is loyal to him, as one entity that remains his backbone but he knows Cori and Freya has their own problems. 

They are forcefully included into the new Empire. 

Freya kneels because they have no alternatives. 

Without their slave army which has been given freedom by Harald, Freya is a weak nation militarily but it still has their harbour while Cori is in now the hand of the Church. 

It might seem like Arial is the emperor but Arial knows that it is the church country. 

Arial had to solve this matter later, knowing that right now the church sentiment is on his side but to believe in such fickle alliance between him and the church is not wise. 

The church is trying to use him as he used them. Arial is not stupid in this matter. For now, Vangua take precedent rather than the distant lands on the south.

Crowned sovereign over the land, he would first strengthen himself in that part of the kingdom which he actually held. 

Arial policy is to assert his rights in the strongest form, but to show his mildness and good will by refraining from carrying them out to the uttermost. 

By right of conquest Arial claimed nothing. 

He has come to take his crown, and he had unluckily met with some opposition in taking it. 

The crown lands of King Edward passed of course to his successor. As for the lands of other men, in Arial mind all is forfeited to the crown. 

The lawful heir had been driven to seek his kingdom in arms; no Anglais Raxons has helped him when he put forth his claim to his rightful crown; many of them even fought against him. 

All then were directly or indirectly traitors. 

The King might lawfully deal with the lands of all as his own. The Emperor. all the land, in law, a law which he made, in paper all belong to him. 

Each land can be taken back by him, the only exception is in the land of Arrandy where they can buy their lands and redeemed it.

Of course even this he would change someday later.

But in the conquered lands, all lands, belongs to Arial and his Empire. 

Taxes, lands. 

Arial took to himself the estates of the house of Harald save those of Amelie, the widow of his revered predecessor, whom it was his policy to treat with all honour. 

From the beginning of his reign Arial begin to make himself richer than any king or emperors that had been before him in Vangua or than any other Human Continent king of his day. 

He could both punish his enemies and reward his friends. 

Much of what he took he kept; much he granted away, mainly to his foreign followers, but sometimes also to Vanguan lords who had in any way won his favour. 

The doctrine that all land is held by the Emperor is now put into a practical shape. All, of Vangua and strangers, not only became Arial subjects, but his men and his grantees. 

Even though Arial find some resistance in taking the crown he is not without mercy. 

Vangua is not, like some conquered nations, formally degraded or put under any legal incapacity in their own land. 

Arial simply distinguished between his loyal and his disloyal subjects, and used this opportunity for punishing the disloyal and rewarding the loyal. 

Such punishments and rewards naturally took the shape of confiscations. 

If punishment is commonly the lot of the Vanguan people, and reward is the lot of the Caelum lord that serve the Emperor, it is only because the Emperor treated all men as they deserved. 

Most Vanguan is disloyal; most Caelum are loyal. But disloyal Caelum and loyal Vanguan fared according to their deserts. 

This revolution, which practically transferred the greater part of the soil of Vangua to the hands of strangers, a foreign leader is great indeed. 

Arial, according to his character and practice, is able to do all this gradually, according to legal forms, and without drawing any formal distinction between natives and strangers. 

All land is held by the Emperor of Eden, according to the law of each of its kingdom. 

Of course Arial will change it soon when it finds stability and he even discussed this with Silas and Oliver to codified a law that will be used by the empire subjects.

And the Vanguan people also begins to accept this new King. A man who declared himself Emperor.

Why?

Because Arial, at any rate since his crowning, had shed the blood of no man. Men perhaps thought that things might have been much worse, and that they were not unlikely to mend. 

Anyhow, weakened, cowed, isolated, the people of the conquered kingdom submitted humbly to the Conqueror's will. 

The Conqueror the name in which he is known now, determined before all things that his kingdom should be united and obedient; his empire should not be split up like the time of Alexander the Divider; he would have no man in his empire whose formal homage should carry with it as little of practical obedience as his own homage to the King of Aetherland. 

Arial therefore forsook the old practice of the Vanguan which is dividing the whole kingdom into duchy. The Dukedom is one example of the Empire incompetence.

Arial also did not forget to send gift to the church whose favour had wrought so much for Arial enterprise. 

Arial also could not use his military all the time. Understanding the limit of military force is an essential consideration.

Arial pursues stability development and exploitation. 

Stability is clearly important to prevent rebellion or unrest, while the cities will be developed to foster economy, social and political development.

The large aim is to establish a durable empire, constructed from Arial very own mind, a vision of everlasting peace.

And the exploitation. It does not mean to imply that Arial would ruthlessly rape the empire of its riches.

It refers to the fact that Arial often saw the advantage of winning over potential enemies to serve his new empire interest.

One benefit of such actions is the potential for absorbing potential enemies to serve his interest.

Arial had no intention of simply sweeping through Vangua, plundering as he went. His aim is to become their lord and thereby the people becoming his subjects.

Thinking about all this he summoned the meeting to discuss all this matter and more. And he also planned a construction program to make sure that his own vassal wont revolt someday.

Sitting on his throne he looked into his courtiers.

It was during this meeting that Arial declared to build a palace near the old castle of the Orleans.

'Located about ten miles from this very castle lies a modest hamlet. I have a vision for that place. I hereby declare to construct a Palace never seen before, grander and majestic then the rest. The Palace of Vermont's. I want gardens, hunting grounds, buildings that housed my courtiers and advisors, residence, stables and kennels, painting and sculptures, ornate designs from all over the world, technological innovations, entertainment hall, which could be turn into banqueting hall for my feast. The Palace will be a manifestation of my glory, and of power imposed to a great extent by art, luxury and magnificence.' He declared

He then put in charge Silas as the head architect and asks him to choose anyone capable to assist him in the undertaking, creating many works for the people near the hamlets and to the unemployed knights for a few years until the palace finished its construction.

Then as the Emperor move to other matters, suddenly the throne room is barged in by one man of scrawny appearance with messy hair and a panting breath. 

He looks at Arial and then he said, his tone is desperate 

"The Empress! The Empress! She- "

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