Chapter 294: A Political Storm
On February 11th, Duchess Casfanel and Duke Gisoleaux Hagen took the first aggressive step by formally initiating impeachment proceedings against King Richard. A formal document was delivered to the court in Couronne, demanding that Richard explain his role in the failure.
Just as the Electors of the Empire have the right to impeach the Emperor, the dukes of Brittany also hold the power to impeach their king.
With her husband incapacitated, the Duchess could exercise his powers in his stead. Faced with the Duchess Casfanel's challenge, Richard was forced to respond seriously.
"This was a war between Casfanel, Paravon, and the Empire, not between Brittany and the Empire," Richard argued solemnly. "The court never suggested this war at any time or place, and I have never shown support for Casfanel in any way."
However, the Duchess was well-prepared.
"His Majesty Denoah Jean Richard de Langres, as the King of Brittany, firstly did not oppose or advise against Lord Casfanel's military actions. Secondly, once the war commenced, as the leader of the nation, he neither supported nor assisted Casfanel. Lastly, upon Lord Casfanel's defeat and capture, the king made no attempt at a rescue operation, nor diplomatic efforts."
"Therefore, we believe that Richard has both a direct and indirect responsibility for the outcome of this war. The kingdom's treasury should formally engage with the Empire to negotiate and pay the ransom for Casfanel, and explain the lack of sufficient resources provided to the expeditionary forces."
Clearly, both sides had irreconcilable views on the matter.
As king, Richard's stance was that he never instructed Casfanel to wage this war. Since Casfanel declared war on the Empire under his own and Paravon's name, it was his personal conflict, not the kingdom's, and he alone should bear full responsibility.
That sounds reasonable, right?
Duchess Casfanel's perspective was different. Yes, it was a war between Casfanel, Paravon, and the Empire, but Richard, as king, was aware from the start. As the leader of the kingdom, Richard should have supported the war and provided sufficient resources and knights to give Casfanel a better chance of victory.
Or, Richard could have opposed the war, knowing Casfanel's disadvantages. Had he intervened and Casfanel still insisted on war, then Casfanel alone should bear full responsibility.
As king, Richard neither supported nor opposed the war, nor fulfilled his duties as king.
What kind of king does that?
Duchess Casfanel, born into nobility with relatives throughout the kingdom's aristocracy, made a compelling case. This was indeed part of Richard's duties as king, which he neglected.
"Typical of Richard's handling," Morgiana remarked as she sat beside Ryan, gripping his hand.
Richard's handling was typical—wanting to keep Brittany's relations with the Empire intact without displeasing Casfanel led to a non-committal, muddy approach: explaining to the Empire that this was Casfanel's personal action while ambiguously condoning it to Casfanel.
This has always been Richard's way of handling issues, trying not to offend anyone, which is why Emperor Karl-Franz predicted that Richard would not assist Casfanel.
Morgiana was extremely dissatisfied with this approach. Had she been able, she would have prevented Casfanel's actions, and this civil conflict would not have escalated.
As such, the Duchess garnered unexpected and substantial support from the upper echelons of the kingdom.
By February 13th, Earl Hendrick, Earl Allen, and Baron Kery voiced their support for the Duchess, challenging the king.
On February 14th, Grail Knight Ziman, Lake Prophet Kouri, and Baron Connel, among thirty-one nobles, declared support for Duchess Paravon's impeachment of the king.
On February 17th, Duke Fulcard of Montfort and Duke Theodorick of Bordeleaux sent messages announcing their support for the Duchess's impeachment efforts.
King Richard was overwhelmed, surprised by the extensive noble backing, forcing him to call another court meeting to defend himself.
Otherwise, his throne was at risk.
A day of arguments led to no resolutions, with both sides backed by their supporters. The king clearly could not accept using the kingdom's treasury to pay Casfanel's ransom, so the deadlock and arguments persisted.
Typically, when neither side could convince the other, it was time for the Lake Witch to arbitrate. But with Morgiana severely injured and her whereabouts unknown to most, like Francois and other informed individuals who kept silent, no one could find her to resolve the matter. Both sides also attempted to seek Ryan's intervention.
Ryan, too, refused to see visitors, leaving the nobility without guidance from the Lady of the Lake. With no possibility of concession from either side
, the situation spiraled out of control.
"I should arbitrate; both Richard and Casfanel are to blame!" Morgiana, with a beautiful yet angry expression, exclaimed, "Who gave Casfanel the courage to declare war on the Empire alone? But Richard, as king, neither supported nor stopped him, failing to fulfill his duties as king!"
"You can't go out; the vampires have never stopped searching for you. I've already eliminated several vampire scouts here," Ryan shook his head, gripping Morgiana's hand tightly. "Not until you've recovered."
Morgiana's face twisted with frustration, her response expected yet disheartened, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
"Morgiana, if you were to arbitrate, how would you decide?" Ryan continued.
"Ten thousand," Morgiana pondered before responding, "Richard would pay ten thousand, and Casfanel would cover the remainder. We'd also send diplomats to negotiate with Emperor Karl-Franz to discuss the ransom details further... With Casfanel and two thousand knights captured, we can only try to reduce the ransom at the negotiation table."
"That's the only way," Ryan acknowledged, aware he was not suited to intervene.
He was a vassal of the king, and although Richard had not always treated him fairly, Ryan was still not in a position to step forward.
And with Morgiana incapacitated, she too could not make an appearance.
Where would this political storm lead?
...
On February 18th, the political storm intensified within the royal court, leading to three consecutive meetings. Richard, neither a Grail Knight nor possessing significant prestige, struggled against the combined forces of the Duchess and hundreds of nobles and knights supporting the impeachment. Even with the support of Duke Leonnace of Lyon and Duke Bordelo, the king was at a disadvantage.
By February 20th, the climax of the impeachment reached when hundreds of knights and families of the captured knights blocked the gates of Couronne Palace, demanding the king resolve the issue and ransom the captured knights. Many families, women, and children cried and banged on the palace doors, urging the king to find a solution.
To appease the nobles and the families of the captured knights, Richard reluctantly ordered emissaries to negotiate with Emperor Karl-Franz in Brunswick about the ransom, while also sending royal knights to calm and arrest some of the more agitated family members.
Richard hoped his actions would quell the unrest, but the Duchess instructed even more families of captured knights to blockade the gates. The Marquis of Taubert, responsible for palace security, submitted his resignation, wishing to step down as the commander of Couronne Palace's guard.
Richard refused to accept his resignation and sought help from Yules, the Grand Master of the Grail Knights stationed in Couronne.
Upon hearing the news, Yules realized the gravity of the situation. He led five Grail Knights to Couronne Palace to calm the families and arrest troublemakers.
The influence of the Grail Knights was effective; the families dispersed under Yules's persuasion, crowding into inns and pubs around Couronne, awaiting the king's explanation.
Three days passed without news from the palace.
The Duchess and the nobles grew furious, launching another impeachment motion against Richard, demanding an explanation.
Yules also grew angry, submitting his resignation as head of the Couronne division.
Richard quickly decreed to retain Yules and prepared to face another impeachment motion, overwhelmed by immense pressure and realizing that the situation had evolved.
Without Morgiana's arbitration, the king could not command the Grail Knights, and the Duchess subtly targeted Richard himself.
If this continued, the dukes might convene a council to choose a new king in Couronne!
Richard, not one to be easily manipulated, suggested in the subsequent meeting that if they were dissatisfied with his handling, he could convene a grand assembly of the kingdom's knights to decide how to proceed. Would that be acceptable?
This strategic retreat garnered sympathy from many neutral nobles, as the king indeed had no clear faults in this matter, at most meriting a critique of "negligence" or "dereliction of duty," far from the serious consequence of being deposed. Richard's handling was standard—unremarkable, yet without significant errors.
Moreover, even if they really wanted to force Richard to abdicate, and the impeachment succeeded, who would physically remove the king?
Previously, it was the Lake Witch, leading the Grail Knights, who would do this. But crucially, Morgiana was severely injured and hidden away in Ryan's domain.
Richard's statement finally forced Duke Laon-Riocornwall of Connacht to intervene. The Grail Knight stood up, urging both sides to calm down and return to the negotiating table.
The Duchess also realized that continuing the conflict would not end well, and both parties finally returned to the negotiating table within the palace.
Yet, lengthy negotiations still failed to yield results.
In the south of Brittany, in the capital of
the Duchy of Wimfort, Helenhilde, Duke Francois sat leisurely in his study, sipping wine and speaking to the person across from him, "Bercy, you've come after all."
Duke Bercy de Bastonne sat across from Francois, handing him a letter, "Richard is overwhelmed by the current situation; he's begged me to arbitrate."
Francois nodded silently.
The duke felt that things were getting out of hand. Normally, the Lake Witch would arbitrate in such deadlocked situations, offering a compromise as she represented the Lady of the Lake's will, leaving no room for dispute.
The crux of the problem was precisely here: Morgiana was injured and recovering in Ryan's domain.
Morgiana couldn't appear, so it was Ryan's turn, as the Lake Witch had made it clear to the kingdom's nobility that Ryan would act in her stead when she was unavailable.
However, Francois believed Ryan should not appear in this matter. First, Ryan was a vassal of the king; if he sided with the king, it could appear as collusion, and if Ryan sided with Duchess Casfanel, it would seem he hadn't fulfilled his duties as a vassal.
Secondly, despite Ryan's rising prominence within the kingdom, his stature still didn't quite match the revered status of the Lake Witch. His solutions would likely not satisfy everyone, nor could he command universal silence with his prestige.
Therefore, Ryan was best staying out of the affair, refusing visitors, not getting involved, with a perfect excuse that he had connections with many Electors and nobles of the Empire and needed to avoid conflicts of interest.
With Morgiana not appearing and Ryan refusing to comment, no one in the court could persuade the others, leading to a complete loss of control over the situation.
Now, the only ones capable of arbitrating were the Grand Master of the Grail Knights, the legendary Green Knight, and the Duke Bercy de Bastonne, a direct descendant of the first Knight King Arthur and a powerhouse in his own right, who enjoyed immense prestige within the kingdom. Richard asking him to arbitrate was a desperate move.
Yet Bercy was not particularly interested in internal affairs, hence his visit to seek advice from Francois on how to handle the situation.
"You might want to ask Ryan's opinion on this matter," Francois suggested quietly.
"Ryan? Isn't he refusing to see visitors? Richard has sent several delegations without meeting him," Bercy frowned, "I might not see him either."
"I'll have Sulya accompany you," Francois spoke softly, "Sulya is his fiancée; he'll definitely see her. Trust me, Bercy, Ryan will give you a satisfactory answer."
Bercy sighed in relief.
"Let's do that then."
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