37

We got to Coromodir without any problems.

The wedding was in the oldest (and largest) cathedral of Cordia City, and as was to be expected for the wedding of the queen of the kingdom, very dignified and with the presence of all the nobles and representations of all nations that had contact with the Arano Restoration.

I looked back at what I had achieved, going from a nobody in my original world, to the governor of one of the richest planets of Concordat and being married to the monarch of a nation that had 23 systems, even if it was the smallest and poorest of the Periphery nations. Not bad in 15 years in this universe.

One of my wedding gifts to Kamea is the complete rebuild of her KTO-18 Kintaro 'Mech – an KTO-18 Kintaro – that as had been severely damaged in the last battle in Coromodir. Part of the rebuild included the replacement of all Single Heat Sinks by Double ones, resolving many of the limitations the 'Mech had.

As I had expected, Kamea was not prepared to share her control over her nation, I was a prince consort, and she made it clear from the beginning.

Fortunately for our relationship, I wasn't in the least interested in having that burden or in dealing with it myself, as I told her in a very open conversation we had. For me, controlling one system, 2 companies and a mercenary company was more than enough for me as was living with a beautiful woman with a somewhat wild side. This last sentence made her smile but she made me pay for the joke later… Wild and vengeful no doubt. Well, my intimate moments of marriage were certainly not going to be boring...

During one of the relaxing times after such moment, a time when Kamea enjoyed discussing delicate situations had to do with my more than normal access to information about advanced technology and how much I could provide her kingdom without betraying my oaths to Thomas... Kamea was undoubtedly an intelligent woman and had already understood that I knew where to find very valuable information.

After giving it some thoughts, all the while she did her best to 'distract' me, I eventually told her that if her nation sent negotiators to Niops, a small, single system independent nation, on the other side of the Magistracy, they should be able to find something very interesting.

Kamea thanked me in more than one way but I will stop here...

A month later, we received information that not only had Andurien separated from the Free Worlds League but that she had allied herself with the Magistracy beginning an attack of the Capellan Confederation.

Kamea, always so perceptive, managed to notice that I was not really surprised to receive the news and discreetly asked me what would most benefit our realm.

My answer was simple. "Don't get us in this mess and provided we had enough strength, take advantage and 'absorb' independent, but self-sustained, planets like Detroit or Herotitus." She immediately asked if my mercenaries were available for a contract. By this time the training with The Gray Death Legion was over, and despite my best efforts, they had gone back to the Inner Sphere in search of more 'prestigious' contracts, and since Thomas had not (yet) made any decision about intervening on the Capellan Confederation, and the Revenants don't have any contract at the moment, I answered yes.

Kamea immediately offered me a contract that basically consisted of sending my forces acompanied by several of her infantry regiments to 'free' several systems between her realm and the Magistracy. After a quick and quiet calculation of probabilities, I accepted.