Chapter 154: The Feudal System

A light drizzle persisted.

Subsequently, Viserys, accompanied by Bessie who was practicing walking, descended from the castle to send him back for rest.

He wouldn't need to attend the rest of the festivities, focusing on rest instead.

Viserys, having had nothing to do earlier, decided to visit his most loyal followers.

...

Half a month ago.

A maester received a letter from the Citadel across the sea.

The letter was penned by his mentor, the foremost Westerosi astronomer Archmaester Verlin. Apart from catching up, he also informed his pupil and the lord he served:

Autumn has arrived.

Since the Citadel declared the Red Comet as the 'sword that kills the season,' the Westerosi season transitioned from spring to summer.

At that time, Viserys was still fighting in the bloody battlefield of Groat's Hollow. Now, after experiencing numerous events, leading victorious armies back to his homeland, the defeat in the Battle of Dragonstone, and preparing for war...

Perhaps only the busy farmers noticed that the weather was gradually getting colder, and autumn was slowly approaching.

The Citadel would send such letters announcing seasonal changes every year and season. Ordinary lords, unfamiliar with calendars and astronomy, relied on the Citadel to notify them of seasonal changes. The lords would then instruct the farmers in their territories on what to do during each season.

As a result, the functioning of many places in Westeros depended on the Citadel's influence. As the gathering place for Westeros' most knowledgeable scholars, it held great significance.

In truth, Archmaester Verlin's primary reason for writing to his pupil was to reminisce.

The letter had arrived in Essos over a month after crossing the ocean, and even later into the maester's hands.

However, the traditional Harvest Feast could begin with this opportunity.

As one of the few holidays in Westeros, Andalos also had such traditions.

Many Westerosi cultures originated from the Andals and the Rhoynar. In fact, tracing back to the roots, this was the birthplace of many Westerosi cultures.

When the maester announced the arrival of autumn, wise people began storing a portion of their crops.

As the region's largest lord, it was natural to hold a traditional Harvest Feast. Due to the long distances and difficulties in traveling, the feast often became a rare opportunity for lords and their vassals to meet.

As the King of Andalos, Viserys announced the first Harvest Feast to celebrate the harvest and consolidate the people's hearts.

Soon after, the newly ennobled lords, who had been granted land to build castles and territories, hurriedly gathered in Andalos.

As the first group of nobles, they hadn't yet severed ties with the commoners, and their interactions were casual and boisterous.

Now, Viserys sat on the highest throne in the castle, while the great hall below was filled with tables for the first time. The new nobles sat nonchalantly on their chairs, accompanied by their wives and children.

The castle's servants were exceptionally busy today. Dish after dish emerged from the kitchen. Each course first required Viserys to take a bite, and only then were the other nobles at the tables permitted to eat.

Desserts and cakes before the meal, various red wines, bread with butter, honey-glazed roast chicken, large chunks of stewed wild boar, goose stuffed with berries, barley venison soup, salmon, and gigantic lobsters, and so on...

An array of dishes filled the table, dazzling the eyes of those present.

The atmosphere at the harvest feast was lively, with people occasionally shouting, "Long live Andalos!" and others raising their glasses, exclaiming, "Long live Viserys!"

Viserys, however, merely offered a slight smile in response, raising his own glass for a sip, his gaze remaining calm as he observed the bustling scene below.

His sister Daenerys sat on his left, while Rhaenys occupied his right, dressed in a magnificent gown, her youthful beauty adorned with a radiant smile.

The feudal system of Andalos appeared to share a similar shell with that of Westeros.

However, the two systems were fundamentally different.

The key distinction lay in the ownership of land.

Though the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms and the ultimate jurisdiction and supreme authority in every aspect theoretically belonged to the king, the king of Westeros was constrained by the political realities of the realm and could not exercise his will freely.

For example, the king could not interfere in the affairs of the Westerlands without first consulting the Warden of the West and the lord of Casterly Rock, the Lannister family, or requesting their involvement.

If the Lannisters decided to protect a particular house, the king had no other options but to compromise politically, go to war, or give up.

Even a king could lose his position and face death if he failed in the game of power.

In essence, the king was the largest noble with his own lands, temporarily occupying his position with the support of other major nobles.

If the king offended the majority of the other nobles in the realm, they could unite to overthrow him.

As had happened to Viserys' father, the "Mad King" Aerys Targaryen II. To the common folk, the changing banners atop the castle walls were simply the concern of the nobility; they cared not whether a Baratheon or a Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne, only about their next meal.

In Andalos, however, things were different.

Although Viserys granted noble titles and each noble governed a village or town, with the right to pass on their title to their descendants, the ultimate ownership of the land still belonged to the king – Viserys could revoke the title of any errant noble with a single word, executing them or reducing them to commoners.

These newly ennobled individuals did not possess actual ownership of the land, only the right to rule and make decisions within their territories, but even this power was subject to the king's supreme jurisdiction.

Moreover, they had to pay a specified portion of their income as taxes, and only then could they enjoy the remaining benefits.

As for the commoners, they were obliged to serve in the Andalosian legions.

These legions maintained garrisons throughout the realm, with their highest command held by Viserys, completely detached from the local nobility.

The nobles were allowed to build castles and maintain private armies, but the size of these forces was strictly limited, serving only to maintain order and defend their castles.

Viserys commanded immense prestige among the common folk and the legions, who identified more with him than the nobles appointed over them.

As a result, the new system of enfeoffment proceeded smoothly.

Moreover, these newly raised nobles had once been ordinary citizens who had distinguished themselves on the battlefield or through other channels and had been ennobled by Viserys.

Suddenly elevated from humble origins to nobility, they were grateful for their new status and naturally had no objections during the process of enfeoffment.

Otherwise, Viserys wouldn't hesitate to strip them of their titles and remove their chance to rise to nobility, relegating them back to the status of commoners.