Cykrus was kneeling on the carpet several meters in front of the king's throne, his many onlookers, nobles and scribes, were watching in complete silence.
This was the moment where His Majesty would usually bid his guests to rise to their feet, so they may present their offer, or to plead their case, but no such words were uttered.
King Lysander Van Tale caressed his chin, "Duchess Debora Vivienne, from what I have heard, you were the overseer of the trial between Baron Ironhoof, and Lord Aventia."
"That is correct, Your Majesty." Vivienne turned around and answered, she and Duke Monotay stood at the base of the steps to the throne, two rank three mages would intimidate anyone, and even though Cykrus was also a rank three mage, they were suitable guards, should he attempt anything.
"And then subsequently over the two families' fight." he continued.
She nodded her head, "I was present for the entirety of the fight, and have been able to determine a victor. In accordance with the agreement between the two families, that the winner gets to dictate whatever happens to the loser, Lord Aventia has dispatched the head of the Ironhoof family. All of which I have included in my report, should anyone present wish to consult it."
Cykrus glanced up, trying to make out the expressions on the three candidates for the throne.
He had already guessed that one of them was Lokan's master, but that out of all of the successor candidates, only they appeared, made him even more certain of his conjecture.
They were ahead of their competition, and strategically gifted, according to rumours; did they want to witness His Majesty make an example out of him, or was there another reason?
Prince Dalton had openly invited him to a discussion, but the other two were still a mystery.
"Lord Aventia, I must ask, are you aware of the reason why I have called you to Astafor, for this audience?" Lysander sat down on his throne and folded his hands.
Cykrus lowered his gaze, "I have a feeling, but Your Majesty's intellect far surpasses mine, so there may be deviations..."
King Lysander's lips formed into a light smile, not because the flattery was getting to his head, but rather because Cykrus was handling this overbearing situation better than expected, "Out of the 274 members of the high court that attended, a total of 262 agreed to the proposal of a minor noble, to have your two families wage a duel, with your existences on the line."
His eyes lost focus, as he was reciting lines from memory, "Five days later, that same minor noble was found dead in his residence, missing his entire head." then they returned to normal as he watched Cykrus' reaction, "An unfortunate outcome, isn't it?"
"Am I being accused of killing a member of the high court?" Cykrus clenched his fist that was pressed against the floor.
His Highness scoffed, "You may relax Lord Aventia, there is no way I would condemn you of that crime without any incriminating evidence. I merely intended to inform you of this, should you wish to seek retaliation against the high court for their actions against you."
Cykrus felt his shoulders get a tad lighter, "I never considered such barbaric acts. They may not have expected it, but their decision ended up aiding me. For this I am grateful."
"And you achieved a glorious victory, on that note, allow me to congratulate you on reaching rank three, it is a great milestone in the life of any mage, most of the time, their last. Especially in our current age, but I shan't digress." Lysander clapped.
"Your breakthrough is cause for celebration, but life gives no breaks, so I am curious, what will you do with the Ironhoof family, since the agreement between you hasn't ended."
Cykrus looked up to face His Royal Highness and looked him in the eyes, "My family and theirs, our conflict dates back longer than I had known, but through all of these years, it was them who were not content with times of peace, so now I believe it is my right, and my duty, to settle this war, once and for all."
"Aventia will absorb the ungoverned land and expand, but we will also inherit the Ironhoof's responsibility of containing the Land of Fog. We will grow to become a pillar that supports even the weaker links of our society, and another sword in the hands of Your Majesty to protect humanity."
Lysander Van Tale leaned into his throne, seemingly pleased by Cykrus' proclamation, "Well said, but Lord Aventia, do you know why I insist on including the protection of humanity in the oath every noble undertakes during my rule?"
Cykrus shook his head, "I assumed it was for the families to consider the lives of the commoners, who stand no chance against magic, when at war, but that is only my interpretation."
"That is an admirable stance for a ruler to have, I am starting to understand how your family managed to withstand your parents' passing. But no, that is not my reason." the king leaned forward, the people around him also perked up their ears; when His Majesty was conversing like there was nobody else in the room, was when his retainers could learn the most about him.
"The royal family and the remaining families may not always see eye to eye, be it because certain topics have varying amounts of impact on some, while not on others, or because there is a conflict of interest when it comes to the distribution of land or power, but when you strip all of that away, what remains, is that all of us are humans."
"By making that vow a part of the oath, I like to imagine that, if a time where humanity needs to set aside all our differences and unite ever comes, then we will." he spoke with a hint of bitterness.
"Is there something that could threaten us so?" Cykrus asked the question on everyone's mind.
Lysander's gaze washed over those around him, he paused on his children, then returned it to Cykrus, "The planes we invade hold treasure and danger alike. It is what's befallen those that ventured into the Sunless Mire, your own disciple included. Valiant heroes like them give up their lives, so that the rest of humanity may learn from our past mistakes and continue marching towards a brighter future."
"For his, and for your contribution, I want to reward you." His Highness got up from his seat, rattling his attentive listeners, had they heard him right? A reward?
Cykrus himself was no less surprised, but the real surprise had yet to come, as His Majesty continued, "By my authority as the ruler of Astafor, sovereign of these lands and king of humanity, I, Lysander Van Tale, descendant of humanity's first ruler, hereby bestow upon you, Cykrus Aventia, the title of Marquis!"
A quiet, "What?!" spread through the crowd, even Prince Arlin's mouth was wide open.
"Silence!" Duke Monotay shouted, questioning His Highness could have grave consequences.
Cykrus flinched, he didn't know what His Majesty was thinking, to go and raise his title, but if his every move was a calculated one, then he couldn't agree to it, "Your Highness." all eyes returned to him.
"I am truly grateful for this incredible reward, but I cannot accept." he said.
Lysander raised his head, "You refuse?" goosebumps spread across Cykrus' skin, it felt like the space around him was shrinking, closing in on him, "Aventia is nowhere near worthy of becoming a marquisate, I may be a rank three mage, but if we were to grow too fast, my land may buckle under the pressure." Cykrus tried to explain himself.
"And not just that, Your Majesty-" Prince Arlin joined in from the side, "It isn't right to forgo protocol and instantly promote the Aventia family to the rank of Marquis, when they haven't even been a Barony!"
His siblings smirked as he raised his point, but the king on the other hand became increasingly infuriated, "Protocol? What protocol could possibly bind the king's decisions?" Lysander exhaled some of his fury, "Besides, the Aventia family had already been a Barony in the past, long before you were born. Their status deteriorated along with their might, and now the family is once again flourishing, and so should its title."
"You would do well to take some time and flip through the archive, so that your meagre understanding may never come back to embarrass you in such a way." he continued.
Arlin took a step back, he bit his lip, then lowered his head, "Yes, father..." he mumbled.
"As for the problem you described Marquis Aventia... now that is something that can be fixed quite easily, a sort of boon due to your newly acquired title." Lysander spread his arms open wide, "I shall put an army under your command, they will follow your orders and hasten your takeover of the Ironhoof's lands, with that, your need for manpower should be satisfied." then he crossed his arms, "We should also invest into a proper road that connects Aventia to Astafor, to enable trade, since you currently need to cross a mountain range..."
The onlookers exploded into a commotion, not even Duke Monotay managed to quell them, rather, he was too baffled to act; His Majesty's proposal was nothing short of the total annihilation of the Ironhoof family!
Cykrus could merely blink at the unprecedented offer, it was too good to be true, and His Majesty's intentions were hardly a secret in his eyes, the king was showing him both the carrot and the stick, the merits of becoming a loyal follower to the crown, but also how easily a family could be snuffed out, if they fell out of favour...
The army would effectively be a sword in the open, and a dagger in the dark, supporting Aventia in its conquest, but ready to turn onto Cykrus, should His Majesty change his mind.
He had already received Simerlin's promise for help from the church, yet it was questionable whether he could rely on the vague words the priest uttered.
Prince Arlin's face was getting paler by the minute when Dalton spoke up next to him, "Your Majesty." he waited for their father to look over his shoulder, then continued after seeing him nod, "Is it alright for us to partake in the feud between two families? I understand that, for the king, there are no rules or regulations that could act as restrictions, but wouldn't this make you appear too... overbearing? The families may not react kindly to learning that we are willing to take sides in their disputes."
Cykrus observed their conversation, if he continued to refuse His Majesty's 'kindness', then he may end up forcing his hand.
King Lysander Van Tale gestured with his arms, "Your reasoning is sound, Dalton, that is one way to go about the conflict between families, as king you could attempt to pacify them before a war breaks out, you could abstain and watch from the sidelines as they tear into each other, or you could weigh the benefits siding with one family over the other may bring you."
"However. As much as this may appear like the third option, it is anything but." hearing him, Dalton's brows furrowed.
"We are not participating in a feud between two families... there is only Aventia, and its rightful property." he followed up, and Dalton's eyes widened.
"The army will march into their territory, and they will either willingly surrender, as per their agreement, or we will enforce the wager that the high court has decided upon. It is our task to uphold justice and righteousness, so it is only natural for us to see through what has been decided." the king turned back to Cykrus, "Marquis Aventia, you may rise."
Cykrus stood up, nothing about him had changed, but he still felt different from when he entered the hall.
Was it a confidence boost due to his new title? Yet he wasn't too happy about the leash around his neck tightening.
The people in the hall slowly quieted down, "One last thing Marquis Aventia. In the upcoming days the portal to the Sunless Mire, the swamp plane will reopen, and a rescue-party will be sent to locate and retrieve the survivors. Caution is our priority, as the creatures that inhabit it have shown us, that they have the means to fight back. Only rank three mages are eligible to join, should you be interested."
"Oh? I thought the church was unable to salvage the portal and failed to restore the connection." like everyone else, Cykrus had only heard a thing or two from unofficial sources.
"Not the church, but a different pair of hands will be lending their aid. You may rest assured, with their help, reconnecting the portal will pose no issue." His Majesty said.
Vivienne raised her hand, "Your Majesty, I volunteer to spearhead this rescue operation. Since my own disciple is also trapped in that plane."
Cykrus exhaled in relief, "I may not be able to go in person, however I will send someone in my stead." with her leading the group, he was no longer as worried to send off Agnes.
King Lysander raised his eyebrow, "You can send a rank three mage in your stead? It seems I underestimated your family a bit."
Cykrus chuckled, "Not at all, Your Highness, we merely used up the fortune of a lifetime."
Lysander Van Tale nodded, "Very well, Duchess Debora, you will be put in charge. That is all. I have high expectations for you Marquis, you are dismissed. Duke Monotay, see our guest out."
The duke bowed to His Majesty, then followed Cykrus, who bowed deeply, he held that position for several moments, then turned around and left for his second destination.
He held his head high, walked at a regular pace, then once he left the castle and the courtyard, passed the guards and joined the crowd that moved like a stream through all of Astafor.
Cykrus closed his eyes, his hands were sweaty and shaking, he fell to his knees, his face pointing to the sky, "Still alive... hah." he swiped his hand across his forehead, it was drenched, "And a Marquis on top."
The people swerved around him, not paying too much attention, crazy individuals were no rarity in a city this populated.
He struggled to his feet, then took a big breath, feeling his lungs fill to the brim was invigorating.
With one of His Majesty's armies under his belt, and even an offer to build infrastructure, such as roads into his territory, was Priest Simerlin's deal even necessary anymore?
Cykrus contemplated while he was headed towards the church, he wanted to reach a decision before arriving, but it was a back and forth with all the arguments that came to mind.
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice as he approached the mega-structure that was the church's headquarters, a cathedral so grand, that it put even the royal castle to shame with its splendour.
The cathedral towered in the midst of the capital city, like a mountain of handcrafted stone, layer after layer of soaring arches, engraved columns, and spired walkways rose to the heavens.
Its facade was decorated with intricate pieces of faith and craftsmanship.
Stained-glass windows, the biggest nearing the size of city gates, shimmered in a wide range of colours.
On them were depictions of saints and the likenesses of various gods, each of them identifiable by the white wings protruding from their backs.
Buttresses stretched outward, supporting the immense weight of the cathedral, and at its highest reaches, atop gilded spires, were golden statues that reflected the sunlight.
Cykrus walked up the stairs that led to the massive archway that acted as the entrance in place of doors, where a familiar face walked up to him, "Lord Cykrus! I was worried you wouldn't show! Haha." Priest Simerlin approached.
"I am sorry, there was a bit of a hold up, also, it's Marquis now." Cykrus responded.
Simerlin leaned in, his face a flush of expressions, "Pardon?"
"His Highness named me Marquis minutes ago."
"We also need to make some adjustments on the plan for the invasion... some things happened."
"Simerlin?" he called out, the man had turned unresponsive.
Cykrus waved his hand in front of Simerlin's face, only then pulled him out of his stupor.
"... a Marquis... you are truly my golden goose, Marquis Cykrus." Simerlin's smile returned.
Cykrus rolled his eyes, "The last time we met you said something about needing a diversion tactic to meet with your priest, what exactly did you mean by that?"
"Ah, right. Yes, I do not dare enter the cathedral without someone to shield me, which is why I initially requested for your support once you reach rank three." Simerlin affirmed, "I ask that you go in with your full strength on display, do whatever you need to, that everyone's attention is pulled to you."
Cykrus scratched his head, "What do you mean 'you don't dare enter', were you exiled?"
Simerlin raised his hands, "No, no. Not exiled. Honestly, I do not know why, but I just have this feeling."
"...A feeling? Like this 'revelation from the gods' you spoke of previously?"
"Yes! Exactly like that!" Simerlin said excitedly.
Cykrus slammed his palm against his forehead, the more he interacted with the priest, the less confident he was in his decision, but the payoff was too big to ignore.
With both the church, and His Majesty's army lending their help, they would be keeping each other in check, allowing Cykrus much more freedom than if he relied on just one of them, "Alright... let's get to it."
"We mustn't be seen together inside, also, if you do not see me leave, then go back by yourself." Simerlin left some parting words, then Cykrus walked inside.