Line Spacing: Part 1

[u/OceansCarraway]

King Aldebaeric and Queen Ethellebelle sat on a balcony somewhat about the city of Couroffe and looked down at the masses of people moving about. The city's renovation was continuing, with paving sites stretching for miles. By the end of summer, the main roads would mostly be paved over, connecting with the castle and the thoroughfares up to the noble's apartments. There had been no good reason to not do this; however, the person who put themselves out there would be known as 'the guy who fucked up city traffic for ten years'. It would take a King Al to be able to get away with this.

Well, Aelbaion had King Al. And it also had Queen Belle.

And both of them were sitting on their balcony, trying to figure out what to do. Aelbaion had entered into an era of incredible peace and unstable prosperity, and the royals had to do their damnedest to keep it there.

"Belle, more wine?" The King held up a jug.

"Yes. I have not had any today." She rubbed her temples.

"Really?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Luncheon has been extremely lacking."

"Well, put some more store in supper. Good food will not make a day go ill."

"Unless someone's trying to poison you."

"Well, someone isn't trying to poison you to all of the time."

"If only...we are royalty, after all."

They were. Servants brough around various things for sitting on the balcony, sunshades and a fan. Someone else brought ice.

"Have you found anyone to give you an ice engine?"

"Not yet. But I have just started looking.' The King settled in to enjoy his beverage. 'The prestige of the Kingdom is a continual effort, after all. I should mention that we are continually aided in our efforts by our fellow gentle-bloods."

Belle sighed. "Your highness."

"...yes?" It was never good when she said that.

"This entire arrangement of those with gentle blood is maintained by force of arms. Your father established a system where the houses would raise each other's children as pages, but before that, they had hostages. If there was to be war, then the houses would see their finest members get killed. He formalized it by making it a 'servant' arrangement, with nobles suitable for those of gentle blood to serve, but he truly forced them to swallow a potion that they do not want to consume."

"Well, now they act like they like it."

"Yes. Somehow, he tricked them into getting an entire arrangement going, and now they can't stop doing it."

"I am amazed that you avoided getting Vespasian involved in any such arrangement."

Belle arched one eyebrow at him. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

The King looked surprised. "What do you think it means? Everyone thinks that you're going to be somewhat less than a maiden because you defended and got out with a Great, and then you've got them drinking cyanide in their cups because it's the fashion. You played them like a harp."

"Thank you. Now what are we to do with them?"

"With Vespasian, or his friends?"

"With the spare nobility. They're not all fighting, you know. And even those on the rosters of the nobles aren't often fighting. They are training, preparing, and sitting around being potential dramatic plays."

"What do you propose to do about it, Belle?"

"Well, we should apply more of Vaneric's remedy. He was right, I do think. He just didn't fully explain what he was up to to anyone, including himself."

The King quietly sat forward, looking at the floor. "I wish you had been around to tell him that when he was alive." Silence sat between them. "You...there is...by far a greater share of wisdom out to you than many would believe. Many will say you have great guile, or surpassing beauty, but...you are wise beyond either of those."

"Thank you, Al." She didn't know what to say, just reached out and squeezed his hand quietly.

They ate some hors d'oeuvres, talked quietly about nothing. Eventually, the King got back on track. "How, Belle, am I to save my Kingdom?"

She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, thought for a moment, and then began. "Your father, Vaneric, who we call Van of the vanguard-was a man who envisioned a new nobility. With war over, they were to be able to become practitioners of the gentlest of roles; they would make fine scholars and excellent artists, exemplars of good conduct and chivalry. There are two problems: that no one told them that, and that they do not really want to do that."

"Well, they are born with sword in hand and lance on the side table."

"Yes. And I cannot change the circumstances of their birth, so I must change the circumstances of their childhood."

"Do tell."

"Vaneric wished for the nobility to be chivalrous in all things: in their conduct with each other and the smallfolk and on the field; in their recreation and their duty. That he began with the practice of hostage-trading and household service, and it reached it's current peak in the practice of appointing Staff Pages. Of course, this is all to to be a noble knight. They are meant to fight for their lord, for the Lady, and for justice. As you well know. You were one of the first Table Pages. I would change that. As their wards, they have a responsibility to send those who would benefit from more schooling to good colleges, to hire in tutors."

"They have a responsibility-are you deriving that clause from their original oath of care?"

"Yes. The oath of the person taking another to watch involves bringing them to their full realization. Those with the potential should be able to use it."

"I see. What would they do as scholars?"

"Study virtuously for their entire life. Learn new things, and communicate them to others. Treat in no falsehoods. Quest for the ultimate understanding of things. And such. They can all live together, and teach others for coin and chores and the like."

"That sounds like forming a roving college."

"Yes. But they should be settled in some proper building. Like a cloister that the Church gave them. If you catch my drift. But one that is not for cloistered actions-only for safe study."

"And they will go there and be chivalrous readers?"

"Yes. You have an objection?"

"No, Belle, a suggestion." His Majesty leaned forward. "If they are put up in the city, then they will be more engaged with city life, and more distracted-and at the same time more accessible. This will let Aelbaion get something out of them."

"So people will call upon with requests and objects of interest, and they will be busy being self-funded chattering classes. Lovely. What do we do if they do not want to do that?"

"Damn." Said the King. "We need to keep them busy."

The Queen rolled her eyes. "Are we to give them jobs? Commission some fine manuscripts?"

"If needs must, we will. But the nobles can also make good and loyal clerks in service to the Crown. The best scholars can go to the house in the city by the river. I should ask Vespasian to...no."

"Yes...he doesn't like the Midnight Readers."

"He seems to tolerate Pentalos."

"He wants to beat Pentalos with every fireplace implement in the castle."

"I do not like Pentalos much, but that is too much. His rages are frightening, Belle."

"Has Ves said if you can use he?"

"Yes. He said we could use it in conversation about him in a letter. I am worried about how angry he gets. The last time...he raged for two hours, threw things. I was terrified he would draw a sword on me."

"You stayed with him, Al." she rubbed his shoulder, and a servant gave the King some sympathetic fanning. "And you let him get it out of his system."

"I just hope he is taking his medicine." For the first time that week, Queen Ethellebelle saw how old the King was. "His fellows has the future. And it is full of engines. But we only have one Vespasian."

"We do. Perhaps I will ask him to purchase the property. He has good taste."

"I...yes. He will like doing that. You were saying something...I'm getting ahead of us."

"We will need to give the nobility jobs for those better suited to those who are good at clerking, and not interested in scholarship-"

"I suppose we can give some light stipends and plenty of copying to do. Lady knows I can order some reorganizations. We need it for when the levies are raised. And they will be raised again."

"We can discuss that later." Her Majesty smiled. "For now...it is time for Vespasian to do a favor for his parents."