Robert awoke in the same bed, yet again; forever confirming his new reality. He was in a much better mood this time. He pulled himself out of bed, threw on a robe and sauntered off toward the dinning hall.

  “Good morning, Sire.” Raina called out from close behind him.

  “Good morning, Raina.” He returned a smile.

  “Seem’s like you got plenty of sleep last night.”

  “I’m just excited for the day.” He walked through the doorway and navigated around the table to his spot at the very back.

  “I’m very glad to hear that, Sire.” She promptly left and returned a short while later with his breakfast. He scarfed it down then got partially dressed in his kingly atire. Telra wanted him to always wear his crown and cape but the shoulders were huge and both were heavy. Neither of which were going to be comfortable for long. He protested the idea immediately, opting for something simpler: white shirt and pants with a golden robe with red diamonds dotted about the silky surface. It kinda felt like wearing pajamas, if he was honest. He promised himself he would address the dress code at some point.

  “Magistrate Philo,” he said with a bright smile as he entered his office, the man already there. “I’m very excited to speak with you today. We have much to discuss.”

  “I’m with you there, my liege. Please, what do you wish to begin with?”

  “Let’s start with the treasury. Explain the kingdom’s budget for me.”

  The loss of the previous bloodline was costly, draining most of the reserves for his replacement. Taxes were dwindling for a number of reasons, namely avoidance. Food prices have also increased due to widespread famines. Nobles had been skipping out on their dues and churches have been closing their doors to tax collectors. People are upset and it’s being felt everywhere.

  “I’ll give it to you straight, Philo, it’s not looking great.” He looked closer at the documents the magistrate had brought with him. They were balances and crude spreadsheets with calculations kind of everywhere. Formatting definitely didn’t exist here yet, which was kind of annoying. “What have you done to rectify this so far?”

  Philo thought for a moment, “Well, Sire, we’re in a tough spot. We can’t raise taxes lest we irk the commoners and most of our expenses are debts we incurred during the war.”

  “That’s it?”

  “W-what do you mean?”

  Do these people not think anything through? “There’s so much more you could do to increase your revenue. I agree that raising taxes will make things harder, plus we have corruption to contend with. It won’t be easy, but we can make some changes to the tax code to better shift the rates around; we’ll end up making much more money.”

  “Surely you jest? The commoners are taxed at one rate and the nobles at another, how else is there to do it?”

  “Tell me, when was the base of your tax code written?”

  Philo stroke his chin for a moment, “I believe about 830 years ago.”

  “And nothing has changed in those 830 years?”

  “The previous royalty never had much interest in updating it…” He gave him a sheepish look while he sipped his tea.

  “Alright, here’s the thing. I need your help, Philo. We’re going to overhaul the financial sector of the Luxorian government.”

  “T-that’s incredible ambitious, Sire.” He sunk down into his seat now, clearly unprepared for where he was going with this.

  “It’s necessary, that’s what it is. The country has grown significantly since the conception of the tax code and it’s thus obsolete. We need to rewrite it to better fit our current circumstances, as well as future proof it so we don’t need to make as many amendments.”

  “That sounds like an incredible idea, Sire. I’m afraid you’ll face significant backlash from the noble houses, though. I cannot imagine them taking kindly to a restructuring of the system that so easily allows them to cheat it. Not with how they already abuse our coffers.”

  “Admitting the problem is the first step to overcoming it. The next steps are military reforms. By building up law enforcement, we can safe guard against corruption, as well as protect ourselves from incoming threats. Bolstering our boys on the front line is paramount to the survival of this nation.”

  “You display such profound wisdom, Sire.”

  “Thank you, but no more gushing compliments, we need to settle some preliminary plans before we make any moves on the nobles.”

  “I agree. I’m interested in hearing more about your tax reforms.”

  The two of them discussed the current tax structure which would have worked great for a larger village. It was no match for a kingdom with 7.6 million citizens and another 1.2 million in refugees. It was as basic as they come.

  He was rather excited to dig into the weeds on this. This was his jam. When he was on his local midwestern county’s board of commissioners, his most fun was had hashing out the specifics on the county budget every year in June with the other resident nerd on the board. Just like old times, he thought.

  The two of them managed to put together a fairly complex first draft that included tiered rates based on income and property value. The rates would vary year to year as later-elected legislative bodies could vote to change the rates annually. That’s how the original idea went at least. The code also included income taxes, tariffs, and a number of other small revenue opportunities.

  “Something else I wanted to run by you was the idea of selling noble titles.”

  Philo thought for a moment, then a confused contortion overtook his face, “I think it would be largely detrimental to the noble class. The families who earned their titles through contributions to the kingdom would feel slighted. Also, additional nobles would only weaken their power in the caucus.”

  “What do you mean by caucus?”

  “The caucus is the regular meeting of the upper nobles. There are 27 in total, currently, though two families control significant factions within.”

  Classic politics, he thought. “How does that body factor into royal authority?”

  “Forgive me for saying this, Sire,”

  “Please, I will never punish you for being honest.”

  He gave a meek look, as if he didn’t believe Robert, “Due to the strange nature of most aetherens, the caucus has the power to overrule any royal decrees with a 2/3rds vote.”

  So they weren’t complete idiots. Or at least, the nobles weren’t. “Then how did you end up in a war?”

  “He conspired with the caucus. In exchange for their acceptance of the war, they would receive considerably generous tax exemption statuses and other such rewards.”

  That explains the lack of tax revenue. “He really wanted to invade Pendum that badly?”

  “Indeed,” he nodded solemnly, “he had been betrayed by a concubine from that kingdom and swore vengeance.”

  Holy fuck. How Luxoria is still around after that is anyone’s guess. “That’s incredibly selfish. Well, rest assured, I can confidently say that I won’t lead you down the same path.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “That’s relieving to hear, Sire.” Still not fully believing him.

  So the king’s power was limited. That was somewhat relieving to hear as well. At least they weren’t completely at the whims of a tyrannical dictator should one ever be dropped from the heavens. Regardless, he would need to find a way to either ensure loyalty to the crown or circumvent the caucus’s authority should the need arise. Given the state of the crown’s wallet… the latter might need to come first. He would get a chance to gauge the caucus’s allegiances in time.

  First, however, was lunch.

  “Drakus,” He said cheerfully as he stood to shake the man’s hand, “I had an enlightening conversation with the Magistrate regarding the caucus.”

  “Did you, Sire? It can be a bit complicated at times, can’t it?”

  “Believe me, Magistrate, I’m very familiar with your plight. ” Robert sat at the edge of the desk with his legs folded, “let’s begin with the factions.”

  The Noble Caucus consisted of 27 total members: 10 of which are accounted for by the Caldwell Coalition, another nine were claimed by the Arquette Household, and the remaining eight were independent. If the two factions worked together, they could effectively run the country without a king. Luckily, they are at odds so little has gone through in their sessions. Both the royal family and the caucus were in a piss poor shape, it seemed.

  Ensuring allegiance with the crown would be difficult, no doubt. It would require cooperation from at least one of the factions, and a handful of independents. It brought him back to days where he locked himself and his campaign manager in a room until they could walk out with a solid plan.

  “Are there any matters of decorum I should be aware of? From what it seems, nobles sure love their traditions.”

  “As you surmised, Sire, there are indeed rituals.” He shifted in his seat once Raina arrived in the room with tea, as if uncomfortable with her presence. The man made sure not to look her way. Robert watched him intently as he tried to ascertain what this tension was about. He finally continued once she left moments later, “The most important restriction is that a quorum cannot be called unless the entire body is present at roll call. Of course, absent members can send delegates in their place but are unable to submit matters.”

  “What about the actual proceedings? How is legislation submitted and discussed?”

  “Unless the session was called for a specific situation, after roll call, members are allowed to present matters to the Chamber Master in both written and oral form. Then, after one hour, the body moves to deliberations where they are given time to prepare arguments and discuss each matter then vote on a resolution until all matters are settled.”

  “Only an hour to present? Isn’t that far too little time?”

  “Most sessions only have a handful of submitted proposals, given the noble’s contentment with their status. You would be hard pressed to find a session go over time.”

  Even with the restrictions, Robert thought he might just see the loopholes he could exploit to circumvent some of the caucus’s power. He had options which was a comforting thought.

  Robert asked to go through each of the members with Drakus, who happily obliged. He could tell the man had spent a lot of time with the caucus. He could also quite easily tell which members he didn’t like. Biases aside, the caucus seemed pretty stacked against him. He would have to work uphill if he wanted straight cooperation from many of the households.

  The Caldwell Coalition was the most threatening. They were openly against the crown right now due to the war that ravaged the northern portion of the kingdom so it was unlikely they would move an inch at the King’s request. Arquette Household had a little more wiggle room, though Drakus said they wouldn’t hesitate to milk the royal coffers dry in return for any form of cooperation and Robert had no reason to doubt him.

  That just leaves the independents, and while he was sure he’d be able to win over at least some of them fairly easily, his biggest worry was the De Montaigne Household. It was apart of the Caldwell Coalition, which complicated things considerably. Still, if he appointed her queen, her entire existence could fracture the coalition’s strength. That’s if she would even agree to becoming queen in the first place.

  Options…. Robert sat silently for a moment, then got up from his spot on the edge of the desk. Things were beginning to really unfold before him but there was still so much to tackle. He thanked the magistrate for his time and dismissed him from his office.

  He leaned forward onto his desk with his head in his hands. Not only did he have real life-and-death issues to deal with, he also had to contend with petty nobles and the shadow of a selfish former king. The odds were stacked against him, but it would have been the case anyway even if he didn’t die. The only difference was the presence of his wife and kid.

  He found himself missing them terribly again. Oh, how he wished he could embrace Meghan right now. He wished he could just rewind the clock back to that fateful day just to see her one more time. He felt tears pushing up against his tear ducts again. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself just as Raina entered the room once more to clean up the tea cups.

  “Are you alright, Sire?”

  He sniffled before rubbing one of his eyes, “Yeah, just missing my family.” He leaned back and observed Raina as she worked. “Could you summon the Housemaster for me when you’re finished, please?”

  “Of course, Sire.” She took her leave once again and ten minutes later Telra emerged after a knock at the door.

  Robert motioned to the chairs in front of him as he looked through a sheet of tables in his hand. “Welcome in, Housemaster. I’ve got some things I’d like to discuss with you.”

  “Likewise, my lord,” she said as she took her seat.

  “First things first, how goes the tasks I gave you yesterday?”

  “The necessary letters have been made and I’ve had the captain of the royal guard put together a protection team for the trip. There are three stops on your way to the De Montaigne estate. There’s just a slight problem I foresee, Sire.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I strongly suggest we send word to each of the nobles whose territories you’ll be speaking in. They wouldn’t take too kindly to you making royal decrees out in the open when they haven’t had a chance to hear them first.”

  “Oh, rest assured, I’m not looking to enact any laws or anything. I merely want to give the people hope after such a trying time. War scars people in ways both seen and unseen. Hope is the only thing that keeps people going after experiencing something like that. The only way we can get any change to occur in this country is by giving the people a chance to make it happen.”

  “I suppose that would appease many of their qualms…” she trailed off while she pondered what he said. “Then, what of the additional instructions you mentioned yesterday?”

  “Have the royal guard commandeer a building centrally located in a busy section of each town. Have the oration platform directly in front of the front door, with partitions blocking access to that side of the building except through the stage. We’ll enter through the back, with guards dotted pretty much everywhere throughout the crowd.”

  “That would surely work,” she looked down in thought.

  “Also, around the same time I give the speech, we want to spread copies of it throughout the nearby communities as well to spread word as far as we can.” He slid a piece of parchment over to her that was titled A Message from the King to You!

  “We… can do that as well, Sire.” She had an astonished look on her face. Robert felt a tinge of satisfaction from the unintentional praise.

  “Wonderful. When’s the earliest we can leave?”

  “T-tomorrow I’d say.”

  “Great, I’ll leave it in your capable hands.” He sipped his tea once more. It had more caffeine in it than he probably needed at this time of night, but it was damn good, whatever it was. “Now, then. We need to talk about this queen business again.”

  “Please, Sire. Do not back out now.” A worried look leapt across her face.

  “I’m not backing out. It’s just gotten a bit more complicated than I originally intended.”

  “This is precisely why I put her in the ‘not suggested’ pile.”

  “Understandably so. Still, she could be useful to us, Telra.” He leaned in close, looking around to sell the feigned secrecy of it. “I have concepts of a plan.”

  “Do tell, my lord.” She leaned in to listen close.

  “Our long-term goal is economic stability, right? Well, who controls the purse strings of the economy right now? It sure as hell ain’t our treasury department.”

  “You’re quite right, Sire. The nobles are the ones with the wealth right now.”

  “Exactly. We can fix that with legislation, which is the easy part. The hard part is enforcement. If enough of them unite against the crown, we’re screwed. That means we need to prevent them from uniting.”

  “How do you suggest doing that?”

  “By marrying Pricilla of course!”

  She stifled a laugh, “I see you’ve really come around on the idea.”

  “In a manner of speaking, sure,” he took another sip, “Our girl here is a member of the Caldwell Coalition, which means if we pull her to the crown’s side, the coalition will fracture. She herself may not be desirable -your words, not mine- but the De Montaigne lineage is still well respected.”

  “Taking one of their members will put the coalition at the same level as the Arquettes.”

  “To drive the nail in the coffin, we’ll create a new party: the People’s Party. It will be sympathetic to the crown, but ultimately in the direct interest of the people. Once they see what we’re capable of, they’ll have no choice but to join.”

  She gave him a dumbfounded look.

  “In all reality, we’ll most likely win over a handful of independents and maybe one or two from the factions. My guess is about 6-7 which is a decent amount, if you ask me. Enough to potentially swing a vote one way or the other.”

  “It’s definitely a start, Sire… if not the whole solution.” Her face was draped in a dark expression. Something was churning inside her.

  “Are you alright, Telra?” He said in a concerning tone.

  “It’s nothing,” the darkness faded completely, “I was just considering the implications of what you said. It certainly seems like you know what you’re doing already.”

  “Well, I’ve been doing this for a while now. Worked pretty hard so I could win. Lives hang in the balance when leadership is chosen. It’s the duty of a leader to bear that responsibility and do their best to uphold their oath of office.”

  “Such benevolent leadership is sorely laking in this realm.”

  “That’s why we need to redefine what it means to be a leader.”

  “But how? How do we make such sweeping reforms? The nobles and the people will both surely be uproarious.”

  “We just take a couple little tactics from my realm and the people won’t know what hit ’em.”

  “And the nobles, Sire?”

  “They’ll be begging to be on our side.” His shit-eating grin poked out of the corners of his mouth.