Chapter 10: Slipping Between The Cracks

(Author's note:)

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This chapter covers content that - as the title said - slipped through the cracks. So expect a myriad of different POVs and various characters and at various points in the story.

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(Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia)

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Twenty-six hours of hard labor that's what her dalliance with King Aethan of Cidaris had gotten her, and with it… came two beautiful children, some would consider them bastards, but if she said they were legitimate, then that's what they'd be. None would question her within the walls of Lyria and Rivia, but others would undoubtedly talk outside of her realm.

It concerned her little, but it was a concern nonetheless. Even so, legitimate or not, she'd love them all the same. Naturally, Aethan could never be revealed as the father, not whilst his wife and Foltest were alive. Foltest would have to respond because the dalliance she had had with Foltest's daughter's husband had produced children. Her twins were now a threat to the offspring of Aethan and Adda. Her cousin would never target her, but Aethan would face consequences. Foltest could place troops on their borders, demand the return of Gors Velen, or place an embargo on Cidarian goods. An Embargo would be crippling to the Cidarian Economy. Even with the Cintran Merchants on their side, Temeria was one of their largest trade partners, and the betrothal between Aethan and Princess Adda had only made the relationships between the two Kingdoms even stronger.

''My Queen? Have you thought of a name for the Prince and Princess?'' Asks her midwife, interrupting her thoughts.

''Hugo and Calanthe.'' She decides she'd like to name Hugo Mathen, but that could endanger the secret of their father. No, better to stick to her family tree.

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(POV Shift: King Foltest of Temeria)

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Adda seemed to be happy with her marriage to Aethan…

He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel, but there was some comfort in knowing she was happy. The Temerian Nobility however had begun to question his succession, which made the issues with the la Valletes all the more important to resolve. Adda was the only child he knew for certain was his, until Mary-Louisa la Vallete confirmed it, he'd have no heirs unless children by Adda were born and Aethan agreed to let one of them inherit Temeria. At which point, he'd need to groom the child for ruling Temeria and he'd need to arrange a suitable marriage to tie the boy to one of his more powerful vassals for the political benefits and have the boy ingratiate himself to his vassals.

It'd be a long and arduous process, one that would take years and a great deal of effort to make successful, a process that Foltest wished he'd have performed in hindsight. But a task he was willing to now try to correct if he was provided the means and opportunity to do so.

He hoped that he would be able to avoid open war with the la Valletes, because while they were a comparatively minor family, they were nevertheless a well respected and influential family, and it would cost him a lot to take any action against them. Too much in the short term. Aethan would help him mitigate his losses, but that would be more because of the influence Adda had on him than anything else.

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(POV Shift: Leo Bonhart)

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The tone in the Underworld was shifting, smugglers, bounty hunters, thieves, and everything in between were being rounded up and either vanished completely or somehow reappeared with little reason to explain their disappearance.

These events were specifically occurring around the Dragons Coast area of the North, which meant that either someone was trying to unite various underworld forces or someone from one of the courts or realms of one of the three Kings who ruled one of the three Kingdoms situated within the Dragons Coast was responsible. This didn't particularly effect him, he primarily stuck to the underworlds within Nilfgaard, Toussaint, Cintra, Kaedwen, and Mahakam. But it was still worth keeping an eye on.

Only a fool ignored there competition, and Leo Bonhart was no fool. He didn't become the World's most dangerous and reputable bounty hunter by ignoring his rivals. Some of his rep had been earned because of the Witchers he'd killed, but more of his rep was earned because he was leagues ahead of his competition. He got that far ahead because he'd paid attention to his competition, rather than ignoring them.

Still…

The idea that someone was targeting his sphere of business was concerning, it put the entire underworld enteprise at risk. Which in turn put his business at risk. And that was something that he simply could not allow to happen.

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(POV Shift: Ewald Borsodi)

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Ewald didn't trust as easily as he once did. Horst had seen to that. His ''dear'' departed brother was a piece of work, and Ewald couldn't deny the delight he felt watching his brother quite literally choke on his avarice as a pouch of gold coins was forced down his throat.

But such a public display of Horst's death that followed had landed him in a Cidarian Jail. He'd always assumed that Aethan had either been bought off by Horst, swayed by his brother's Rhetoric, or both. 

It was frustrating where it had once been an enjoyable challenge. Part of why he and Aethan were friends was because Aethan was always able to curry favor, make a good deal, or easily bribe, blackmail or intimidate others. Rarely was Aethan ever taken for a fool. His father had always approved of the friendship between them, as Cidaris was a crucial part of the trading economy of Novigrad. Friendship with the next King of Cidaris in his father's eyes would only benefit the Borsodi families fortunes in the eyes of his late father.

And yet, despite the murder he committed and the evidence he'd seen, Aethan claimed he was not in league with Horst? He found it hard to believe. Which is why he'd returned to Novigrad to assume his inheritance without Horst's interference. He needed time to think things over, and he also needed a distraction.

Maybe his friendship with Aethan would never be repaired, but Ewald couldn't afford to risk trusting anyone so easily again.

Not after what Horst had done to him…

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(POV Shift: King Nibras Sahaeren Nivras)

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His daughter had done very well for herself, snagging the favor of an important King and securing an invaluable ally in the process.

It was difficult to secure trusted alliances in the lands outside of the Ofeiri Kingdoms. His daughter's influence on the Cidarian Ruler would allow them to flood more of the Northern Kingdoms Markets with their trade goods. Novigrad was a vital part of their economy as was Nilfgaard, but Cidaris had vital trade links to Temeria, Aedirn, Lyria and Rivia, Cintra, and Brugge. Leveraging his daughter's relationship with this King would do much to aid his Kingdom's growth and expansion.

Nivras himself cared little for expansion, but his emir's and Caliph's were always craving one of three things.

Land, glory, and influence.

Their religion demanded glory to improve their standing in the afterlife before the Gods they worshiped. This meant that the Emir's and Caliph's who swore him fealty needed to increase and improve upon the prestige and glory their predecessors had earned to improve their standing in heaven.

But so few of them actually earned as opposed to demanded such honors. Nivras himself was one of a select few who was guaranteed high honors in the afterlife. Once a soldier, he became a merchant, to which he worked his way up the social ladders of Ofeir until he was granted the title of Sheik. Years later he became an Emir, before a profitable marriage to the only child of the previous King occurred for him. When the King fell ill, Nivras took initiative and seized power. Because he'd taken power and won a new and most powerful and profitable status for his family, Nivras would be judged before the God's on whether or not he was worthy of walking their highest halls.

It would fall to Zaiorya and Silvat to make their line one that endured the test of time and thus far only Zaiorya had made any successful efforts in that regard. Which would increase pressure on Silvat and hopefully - as the northerners said - light a fire under his ass.

A woman could never rule Ofier, not as a primary Monarch. But it meant her husband and their children's right to succeed the King would be far greater if her brothers were unable to surpass her in prestige and renown.

Sadly, it seemed his line was doomed to die out. Zaiorya was infertile and Silvat missing. His wife and Concubines had yet to secure him alternative heirs. Leaving one of his brothers as his only clear heir.

Was this his Punishment for betraying the last King's trust?

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(POV Shift: Margaery Jaenerys)

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The Tempest of Cidaris.

That's what people were calling her brother after his swift and ruthless strike against the unruly merchants. A lofty title, but one that does not seem to bother him. But it's the reason why he was given that title that is on everybody's lips.

Because of that, the Jaenerys Dynasty had yet another thing to boast about. Their name and the prestige and renown of that name would grow and as a result of being related to Aethan, her own status would naturally increase.

Already she heard whispers in the streets when she needed to make a trip to the market's. 'That's the sister of the Tempest!'', 'Her brother brought them merchants to heel.' This talk gave her an edge that she fully intended to utilize.

More than that, it gave her a great opportunity to get closer to her betrothed. He had been apart of the storm that gave her brother his new title and she could easily feign curiosity to how that title came about and ask Stennis his part on all that.

Her duty was clear, get closer to her betrothed to ensure a relationship took root. But so too was her own goal…becoming an independent ruler in her own right. Either as Queen of Aedirn…or Queen of Cidaris…

If her brother proved himself unworthy, and needed replacing…she would step up to take that weight.

She didn't want to be the Queen, she wanted what was best for her family. And if Aethan proved himself to be a detriment abd obstacle for their family, then he would be removed from play easily enough.

Though any children he had may be obstacles in their own right, she could ill afford to remove them without first dealing with King Foltest and his inbred daughter…

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Author's Note:

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Decided to not do all the POV's I'd planned or even half of them. These felt like the most crucial to focus on for the moment. I'm sure a lot of people have their heads spinning after that Margaery POV, but I'm not really going to adress that.

I'm in more of a let them stew on it for now mood. So enjoy the mystery around her POV for the moment.

That's all I got really, so see you guys next Chapter….

Spoiler Alert: I'm looking forward to writing Henselt vs Aethan. That'll be a fun write, maybe a little bit challenging considering fight scenes aren't really my thing, but it'll be a fun chapter to write nevertheless.

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And also a big thank you to Cody, Luci Alarra, TJ Cruz, Beastmode2003, Kunta, Availon90, Gavin Barclay, Dragonslayer29, Jacarya Robinson, Nathan Just, Francisco J Guzman, Axlii, and  Reece Hutton for their past support on Patreon.

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