Count Tetherswest
"So, how is it?", Riz asked.
"Milord, you can't believe what we saw...", Charlotte proceeds with telling her story. Riz has no choice but to listen or she will keep pestering him. It took quite an hour or so for her to finish.
"I see, there are a lot of treasures huh?". Riz said after Charlotte finished her story.
She was dumbstruck. Riz only focused on the treasure part. His mind is wondering how long it will take to melt and mint the golds into the kingdom's currency.
Riz gave her an order, "Charlotte, led the knights to collect the treasure. Request additional carriages from Henry. We will take all of it back to Bideford".
He also didn't forget to give a knight a little bit of a spoil to shut their mouth.
"Milord", Arden begins to speak. "I wonder if it's fine for me to take the manuscripts in there?"
"Sure, you can have it. I have no interest in those manuscripts but if you write a book about your findings, be sure to send a copy to me". He is an avid reader of history but it is a hassle for him to extract the information from the manuscripts by himself. He will leave it to Arden and just read the final product.
"Do not worry, milord. I will be sure to send it to you once I finish writing it".
"Alright", He nodded his head then turned to Charlotte who was coordinating the knights and asked, "Charlotte, how long do you think it will take to bring out all the treasures?".
"I don't know. It probably takes at least three or four hours".
One hour later...
Henry sent them ten carriages to be used. Naturally, Henry didn't know the reason for Riz to request such a large number of carriages.
He didn't bother to ask despite being curious about it. Sticking your head in the place you shouldn't will only lead you to death.
The knight begins to bring the treasures out and loads them in the carriages.
....
Meanwhile in Tetherswest,
"What's wrong, dear? Is there something in your mind?", Countess Fiona Tetherswest asked her husband.
She rarely sees her husband lost in thought. Only a serious matter can make her husband preoccupied.
Theodore sighed and turned away from the window, "I received a letter from his majesty. He ordered me to hand over the blueprint and all its technical drawings to him".
He actually doesn't know how to respond.
On one side, he wants to gain the trust of Riz. He can feel that that boy has a lot of potential and a bright future.
That is why he is willing to give his daughter's hand in marriage to him.
On the other hand, he didn't want Tetherswest's relationship with the royal family to deteriorate.
The Tetherswest family has spent more time guarding the north than socializing with royals or nobles in tea parties or banquets.
As such, most of their relationship with nobles is neutral at best.
Hearing her husband was conflicted, she threw her suggestion, "If you can decide between the two, why don't you pick a middle choice"
"Middle choice?"
"Just give them an incomplete version of the trebuchet and at the same time write a letter to Riz explaining the situation. He is a smart boy. I am sure he will understand", explained Fiona.
"Can't we actually do that?", asked Theodore.
Fiona just rolled her eyes, "Of course, we can. Why do you suddenly want to be stupidly honest".
Her husband is hopeless outside of military and warfare, her husband seems to be very naive when it comes to scheming and plotting, a skill that every noble should have. In other words, her husband is a musclehead to the core.
"I see!! Then I will do as you said", Theodore starts writing a letter.
'What a straightforward guy', thought Fiona while watching Theodore with affectionate eyes.
Although Theodore can be annoying sometimes, she really liked his honest and straightforward nature. Her husband doesn't fit with the cut-throat world of aristocrats. It is with her help that Theodore is able to handle scheming types of nobles.
As someone who is guarding the kingdom's border, Theodore has received a fair share of death threats, bribes and offers from both foreign and his own country.
Not all of that can move him. He lives up to his family name, an iron wall.
"Dear", Fiona interrupted his husband's focus.
"What is it?", Theodore replied while his hand kept writing.
"What do you think about Cerdeauxia's blockade on our merchants?"
Theodore stops writing and looks up to Fiona, "Hmm...I think that this kingdom will soon be in turmoil".
He didn't need to be a genius to understand the impact of this blockade on the economy. Nobles in the kingdom won't stay still. They will use this chance to isolate the Ryntum family. For the upper-rank nobles, having one less powerful family is a benefit for them as they can control the political situation much more easily.
They will be the one who initiates it and the one who will do the bidding for them is naturally lower-rank noble. The lower-rank nobles will see the fall of Ryntum as a chance to rise up in rank and gain more land.
The upper rank will take advantage of their greed and pit them against each other.
Perfectly divide and control them.
Indeed, noble will choose benefits over friendships.
"So where is our standing?", Fiona asked. "When the time comes, we will be forced to choose sides".
"Does it really matter?", Theodore chuckled. "We have done our best to spread the news about the engagement between Riz and Theodora. Even if we didn't choose, they will simply assume we are with Ryntum".
"Unless we break off the engagement...", Fiona suggested.
"No, let's not do that", Theodore quickly replies. "I don't want to destroy her future".
"Aren't you too confident in them?", Fiona frowns. This is probably one of her husband's gut feelings again. She sighed.
Although it's illogical to her, Theodore's intuition has been proven several times in the past.
"I plan to ask Theodora to help me send the letter to Riz", said Theodore.
Fiona raised her eyebrows, "Do you need to do that? Theodora might not have wanted to".
"It doesn't matter what she wants. I let her practice swordsmanship just like she wanted to. Now, she needs to listen to me. She should be grateful that I didn't match her with some old man".
Fiona can't oppose it anymore since Theodore already made his decisions. She called the butler to enter Theodore's office.
"How can I help you, madam?"
"Called Theodora for me".
"As you wish", the butler slightly bowed before retreating from the office.
A few moments later, Theodora arrived.
"Dad, did you call me?", Theodora asked.
"Yes, I want you to go to Bideford and send this later to your fiance for me. While you're at it, stay there for a few weeks and spend time with him". Theodore said as he gave the letter to her.
It took a few minutes for Theodora to completely digest her father's words. Theodora's eyes were wide open before she shouted, "What!?"
"You heard it right. There is no need to shout".
"Why do I need to do that?"
"Because you're his fiancée. It's been a few months since you met him. Usually a girl is married at the age of 16 or 17 years old but he took the liberty to prolong it until he is 18".
"So? Are you saying he doesn't take this engagement seriously at all!?".
"From my perspective, you're a valuable tool for our cooperation rather than a fiancee. At least for now. Once he achieves whatever he wants, he will throw you away. I didn't need to tell you what happened to such a woman, right?".
Theodora's face become bloodless. Only now that she realised that she is in a precarious situation.
"Fine. I will do it". Theodora grit her teeth, she didn't have a choice, to begin with. Her future is in Riz's hands right now.
In Bagyarosia, a woman who was engaged usually moved to her future husband's residence to familiarise herself with his family, often nine out of ten, the fiancee and her fiance cross will the line. Due to that, a woman who was broken off from her engagement will be seen as no longer pure or be considered as used goods. There is no nobleman who will take such women as his wife or concubine as it is considered an insult to them.
The women either stay single forever or marry a commoner. Marrying a commoner symbolises putting dirt in her family's name which her noble family may consider as an insult to them. Such a woman usually is disowned by her family.
It can be said that noblewomen in Bagyarosia have it difficult despite living and growing up comfortably.
The noble family after all cares about their image and reputation in the noble society more than their own children.
To them, having a lot of children doesn't mean having a lot of happiness and laughter in the house, it means having a lot of backup plans.
"Depart immediately, don't waste your time here".
"Yes, father".