Courtly Politics

Michael

He resisted the urge to rest his chin on his fist. He sat around a dark wooden table at his father's left. Duke Mattuckle had been petitioning the King to grant him land to create a theme park. He claimed the revenue in his dukedom was slowing considerably. He'd already come with blueprints and detailed contracts and funding plans. Prince Michael had never thought that hundreds of pages of legal and political jargon would be behind an amusement park. He'd sat there for forty-five minutes while they read the documents and squabbled over feasibility and sensibility. It was nonsense. He was asking for a few hundred acres from his father out of the king's nearly hundreds of thousands. It was all undeveloped land. Besides, Duke Mattuckle's duchy was in charge of overseeing the rehabilitation and reemergence of animal species. What was one amusement park?

Finally, one of the lords called for a break in the meeting. Michael checked the watch on his wrist. They'd been at this for fifty minutes.

"Prince Michael," an advisor of his father's, addressed him. Michael fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was officially part of the court, but he wouldn't be king for almost another three years. The advisors of his father were all fighting to be part of Michael's cabinet. Each one had been approaching him and sending him letters, praising him unnecessarily… Michael hadn't honestly given it as much thought as he should have. Especially not as much thought as the advisors assumed he was putting in. "Would you mind giving me your input on the issue of Duke Mattuckle? You didn't say a word during the meeting because these men keep yapping about. Your brow was furrowed though prince which indicates deep thought. You need to be more forward and give your input about these matters. We will all look to you for this someday very soon."

He straightened his shoulders, tired of the conversation already. "Well I think it is the king's duty to help his dukes, marquees, lords, and earls. And it is their duty to help their people. If the Duke doesn't have enough revenue to continue running a successful dukedom, then it is the king's responsibility to help. Duke Mattuckle does a great deal for the King with his nature preserves as well as with his agricultural donations. He needs only such a small percentage of the king's land to increase his revenue to make up for the deficit, then why not? Why must we debate the issue in such a tedious manner? We're forgetting that the goal is to help the people. So I believe my father ought to donate the land."

"Well said, son." Michael turned to see his father and the rest of the nobles staring at him, having listened to every word. "What do you think men? Shall we vote on the matter?"

Only three votes were against him.

He leaned against a pillar after the meeting, drinking a water bottle. He couldn't wait to go back to school. This was going to be his life. Years and years of old men arguing with each other about stupid stupid little issues. The next meeting was in five minutes. This one was much larger. He wasn't really sure what they'd be talking about. It was some sort of proposal section when the leaders of the kingdom brought up issues or things they sought to build and improve. Michael usually didn't mind these meetings as much.

He was wrong though. As he sat in the meeting, one of the dukes brought up an issue, but about him.

"Your Highness, I mean no disrespect," he continued, "but the prince is to be king in less than three years and he just annulled the engagement between my granddaughter and himself without prior approval of yourself or I. The law requires that he be married to ascend the throne, otherwise, the next man of twenty-one years be selected to run the Kingdom."

Michael's heart nearly stopped. That would be Sean. Duke Mattuckle's son. He was the next person in line for the throne because he had no other male family members that were eligible.

"I'm sure young Duke Mattuckle would marry Annabelle and take good care of the kingdom." Annabelle's grandfather, Duke Hagravand seemed to sneer at Michael as he spoke.

Michael looked at his father whose eyebrows had knitted closely together. "Yes, of course Duke Hagravand. But he has three years until he ascends the throne. And that means three years to marry."

"Of course your highness, but this kingdom needs stability. I'm sorry to say it so bluntly, but Prince Michael has not done an excellent job in convincing me or others that he is the correct person for the job." He waited for the murmurs of the nobility to quiet. Michael could feel his face heating up in shame. "Prince Michael has been in more tabloids this year than any of the other royal children their entire lives. That speaks volumes. The first time he actually made a proclamation was months after he was supposed to, and he never speaks in meetings. His conversation with the advisor today was during the break. Is this the person best for the United Continent, your highness?"

The King looked taken aback, Obviously he was just as blindsided as Prince Michael.

Duke Quincent, his father's defense advisor, stood. "I think there is some merit to Duke Hagravand's statement. The kingdom needs security. So let me make a proposal. The crown prince of the United Continent must be engaged to be married three months before his coronation, and the wedding must be at least a week before the ceremony."

Michael's shoulders eased slightly, but his stomach still churned. Did the other nobility think of him in the way Duke Hagravand did? Did they think Sean was a better fit for the throne? He thought of Annabelle too. She didn't want the pressure of being queen. But if duty compelled her, he knew she would. But she shouldn't have to. What other noble was there that was as fit to be a queen as she was? Many of the ladies of nobility were trained from birth to be noble, but Annabelle was so far ahead of everyone else that she was the natural choice.

His head spun as his father's voice boomed throughout the court calling for order. He had realized how loud the room had been until it was completely silent. Everyone was looking at his father and him, sitting side by side at the front of the room.

His father stood. "I can promise the court that Prince Michael will be married before he ascends the throne and that he will come to be a fair ruler whom you respect and follow." He addressed Duke Hagravand. "Duke, you and I will convene with our families to discuss the matter of our children's marriages before the end of the week. And don't ever openly challenge the crown prince like that again. If you wish to talk about heirs and such, we can discuss that matter at a different time.

Michael's throat bobbed. Was he going to make a good king?