Chapter 120: Traveling Through the Middle Ages 120

Chapter 120 Time-Traveling to the Middle Ages 120

"Alicia?" Guillaume was first surprised when the Duke of Westminster mentioned Princess Barron, then instinctively shook his head.

Alicia was the name of Princess Barron. She lived in the Citadel with her mother and often visited the palace. Guillaume had some impression of her, but mostly regarded her as a distant cousin’s younger sister whom he wasn’t very familiar with. In his memory, she was much livelier than the noblewomen of the Wasong royal family—perhaps a bit willful, as the original novel had established, but since her willfulness never affected him, he hadn’t paid much attention to it.

The Duke of Westminster could tell at a glance that this cousin, Princess Barron, had no chance at all. But aside from mentioning her, he also conveyed another message: "Well, perhaps Your Highness feels no affection for Princess Alicia, but what about other noble ladies? The well-meaning courtiers didn’t just recommend Princess Alicia."

"I thought this matter no longer needed discussion," Guillaume said, growing somewhat irritated. The Duke of Westminster was clearly not the first to bring this up recently, but others lacked his status, boldness, and personal relationship with Guillaume, so they had been more indirect. Only the Duke of Westminster was this straightforward.

"Your Highness, of course I understand. You are the kind of person who, once you’ve made up your mind, won’t change it. Since you’ve already chosen Princess Balzac, you won’t consider anyone else. But what about others?" The Duke of Westminster dropped his habitual levity and spoke with rare sincerity. "Others may not truly understand you, Your Highness."

"Or rather, they think they understand, yet still believe you are like most people—not immovable. You are now the Crown Prince of Wasong, and your choices have become unprecedentedly vast. I believe that no matter which kingdom’s eligible noblewoman you seek to marry, you will succeed."

This was no exaggeration. Since the Middle Ages, Wasong had always been one of the most important nations in the Western world—if not *the* most important. As the heir to such a powerful and significant country, in the royal marriage market, you are entirely 'able to marry beneath your station,' so of course it’s easy.

Even nations with grudges against Wasong wouldn’t mind 'letting bygones be bygones' at this point—since ancient times, lords fighting to the death didn’t prevent marriages. Just like the historical enmity between England and France in Louisa’s world, yet how many times had they intermarried? Because of this, they could even have claims on each other’s thrones!

"Then tell them my plans haven’t changed… In fact, I’ve already sent a betrothal delegation to Troyes," Guillaume said dismissively.

"Yes, Your Highness, I can relay your answer to those people. But…" The Duke of Westminster sighed. The next suggestion was something he hadn’t wanted to bring up. He didn’t want to get involved in these matters, preferring to remain a carefree nobleman. But given his status, it was impossible to completely avoid them.

"However, my advice is that you should still agree to the recommendations of a few 'well-meaning friends' and hold a small royal bride selection in the Citadel. This wouldn’t change your ultimate goal—you could still choose 'Louisa of Brudo' in the end—while also demonstrating your willingness to cooperate."

"In truth, the real power players nowadays may not necessarily insist on recommending your future queen. They don’t need this connection to maintain their standing. But those who are still so enthusiastic now mostly want to establish a tacit understanding with you. If you’re willing to cooperate on such matters, it shows you’re also willing to respect them."

To put it more bluntly, this was a minor 'test of allegiance.' Normally, tests of allegiance are imposed by superiors on subordinates, but here, it was the opposite—mainly because Guillaume had always been unorthodox. Now, as Crown Prince, he remained unconventional, avoiding the palace entirely and instead building his power base in 'the Robendo Palace.'

This made many people uneasy… At times like this, they needed some reassurance.

This wasn’t about capitulation or currying favor—at most, it was a compromise. Politics is inherently full of compromises. It’s not about having absolute advantage and refusing to yield at all. Moreover, Guillaume wasn’t in a position of overwhelming advantage—he hadn’t even been crowned yet. And most kings couldn’t claim they’d never compromised with their wives, children, relatives, or vassals.

After some thought, Guillaume quickly made a decision and said solemnly, "I understand what you mean. Yes, there’s some logic to this. I’ll consider it carefully."

When Guillaume said he’d 'consider it carefully,' it meant he’d already made up his mind… He wasn’t some romantic tale's hero or second lead. While he wouldn’t abandon his affection for someone just for less-than-absolute political gains, as a proper Middle Ages noble, he also didn’t have the eccentric notion of refusing even political gestures.

Honestly, if he and Louisa were in love, as long as he explained the situation to her beforehand, she wouldn’t see a problem with it. And if they weren’t in love—if it was just Guillaume’s one-sided affection—Louisa might not even have such expectations. Without a confirmed romantic relationship, wasn’t this purely a political marriage? Why demand unnecessary things in a political marriage?

Thus, the matter was quickly settled. The royal bride selection would take place in the most pleasant time of the year, late spring or early summer—or more precisely, during 'Pentecost.'

Officially, it wasn’t called a 'bride selection,' as Wasong hadn’t held one for many generations. Moreover, bride selections typically involved domestic noblewomen, with only occasional foreign noblewomen—usually from duchies or counties, incomparable to true princesses of kingdoms. The word 'selection' itself carried a condescending tone, only applicable when statuses were unequal.

Just like how emperors or crown princes in ancient China 'selected' consorts. If statuses were roughly equal, it was more about courtship negotiations—at most, the more advantageous side might weigh multiple prospects.

This also explained why Wasong hadn’t held a bride selection for generations—because kings rarely married the sisters or daughters of their own vassals! They usually married foreign princesses, making 'selection' impossible.

In the earliest days, when the gap between kings and vassals wasn’t so vast—when kings were essentially tribal alliance leaders—marrying the sisters or daughters of vassals was normal, as it reinforced their leadership through marriage. But as the status difference between kings and ordinary vassals grew fundamentally different, this practice quickly changed.

Unless the royal family was purely nominal, like the Mubuhan royal line, marrying one’s own 'vassals' was meaningless! After all, as vassals, they were already sworn to loyalty and feudal obligations. Why would the king need marriage ties? They were already his supporters.

Of course, exceptions were made for major vassals with no male heirs—like Brudo… The royal family was more than happy to claim such inheritances through marriage. After all, marrying into such families meant effortlessly acquiring vast lands!

Another reason why Wasong kings—and other major monarchs—almost never married domestic noblewomen was the political strife it could cause. The family of the queen would inevitably rise in power, leading to cutthroat rivalries among the nobility. Worse, it could embolden vassals to meddle in royal affairs through blood ties.

The most classic example of this was historical Russia, where the 'queen’s throne' sparked a series of conspiracies and power struggles. While perhaps not as intricate as Chinese palace dramas, they were far more brutal—often involving mass deaths, including royals. The popularity of 'avenging prince' stories in the West had a very real basis.

This was likely why later Russian rulers adamantly refused to choose queens domestically, opting only for foreign noblewomen. Once bitten, twice shy—if you couldn’t control the queen’s faction, it was better to eliminate the possibility altogether. After all, foreign royals and nobles couldn’t form powerful kinship factions in their own country.

For these reasons, among other minor ones, kings now rarely married the sisters or daughters of their vassals. So while this was presented as selecting a crown princess for Guillaume, the actual invitees—aside from Louisa—were all foreign princesses or daughters of major nobles. This couldn’t truly be called a 'selection.'

It would be more appropriate to call it a grand social gathering, for apart from the actual invitees—those ladies nominated as potential Crown Princesses of Vasson—there would also be a host of young men and women from both within and outside Vasson... all gathered under the pretense of celebrating pentecost, to meet and deepen connections.

If genuine affection blossoms between any of them, it could indeed lead to a fine match. After all, those invited are generally of comparable status, and parents would seldom raise strong objections.

"How fascinating... this is entirely your doing!" Upon hearing of the upcoming Pentecost festivities, the well-informed Lucas immediately flattered the Duke of Westminster: "Had it not been for your persuasion, how could the Crown Prince have so readily agreed to those 'well-meaning proposals'? Or even if he had, he would never have organized such a lively and delightful event... This must have been your idea, no?"

The Duke of Westminster smiled smugly: "Not all credit is mine—the Crown Prince has always been astute. As for the Pentecost activities, yes, that was my suggestion. Recent events have cast a pall over the atmosphere in the Citadel, and everyone is on edge. We needed something lighthearted to break the tension."

"And if it could incidentally facilitate a few good matches, all the better. With love and harmony enveloping the Citadel, conflicts would fade away."

Lucas understood the Duke’s meaning perfectly. The Pentecost gathering would serve as an opportunity to broker several advantageous marriages. Old enemies could bury the hatchet, while those lacking ties to Guillaume’s rising faction could secure alliances by marrying into his group... Wouldn’t that ease their anxieties?

In such an atmosphere, tensions were bound to relax considerably... Queen Anna had been busy during this time. With Louis III still alive—though incapacitated—many hesitated to fully defect to Guillaume’s side. She had managed to stabilize her position with vague promises—some of her followers had indeed defected to Guillaume, but others had rallied to her, so her faction did not appear significantly weakened.

Yet those with insight could see that the Queen’s faction had grown far more fragile. On one hand, the newly gathered supporters were either those who, for various reasons, could not join Guillaume’s side or mere opportunists. How stable could such alliances be? The slightest setback would scatter them. On the other hand, Queen Anna could no longer dictate decisions within her own faction as she once had; she now had to consult with key players.

Of course, regardless, Queen Anna and those who had profited immensely after Louis III’s first stroke were dead set against Guillaume—had he not chosen to reside in his own stronghold, the Château de Robendou, guarded by well-trained knights, they might have even attempted to assassinate him outright.

This was hardly surprising. While the East had its poisonings and bloody coups, such acts were even more common in the West—likely because their political systems were cruder, with fewer unwritten rules of engagement. The principle of "competing without breaking" was often disregarded in favor of stirring up conflicts when the opportunity arose.

With assassination off the table, their only recourse was to entangle and drain Guillaume’s resources, manufacturing conflicts where none existed. This way, Guillaume would be too preoccupied to pursue them and might even lose political capital in the process, leaving him weakened even after his eventual coronation.

Now, a Pentecost gathering would resolve most of these issues in one fell swoop. It offered a fresh alternative, pulling many away from their previous us-versus-them thinking. Once people began thinking of solutions through this event rather than tense political or military struggles... the problem would be halfway solved.

Lucas understood this perfectly but had no intention of informing the Queen. For one, she was well-informed enough to know without his report. And even if he did tell her, it would be futile—she could not stop it and could only watch it unfold.

Moreover, Lucas and his father had already begun quietly switching allegiances... If Guillaume’s ascension as Crown Prince had merely made them keep their options open (earlier, it had been more about keeping a fallback), Louis III’s second stroke—rendering him utterly incapacitated and likely to die soon—was the tipping point.

The chain reaction that followed left no doubt where things were headed.

The Queen could not hold out forever, and the Lucases were not so deeply entangled that they had to fight to the bitter end. Switching allegiances now was simply a matter of self-preservation.

Guilt over betrayal? None whatsoever.

They had served the Queen loyally, accomplishing many tasks in her name, and in return, they had received positions—his father as Captain of the Royal Guard—and a host of unspoken privileges. Their rise had been aided by the Queen’s favor, but they had also proven their worth by achieving what others could not. So beyond gratitude, they owed her little.

Nodding as if in agreement with the Duke, Lucas remarked, "Speaking of which, my father believes it’s time I married and suggested I take this opportunity to find a suitable match. I’m inclined to agree..."

The Duke chuckled, feigning ignorance. "Don’t sweat it, my friend. With your charm, winning the heart of a well-matched woman will be a breeze! Haven’t you always been popular with women?"

The Lucases, of course, hoped to marry into Guillaume’s faction. Hearing the Duke’s evasive—or perhaps genuinely oblivious—response, Lucas could only silently groan and press more directly: "I was wondering if the Balzac family might have other ladies attending the festivities."

"What, you’ve also got your eye on a Balzac girl? Are they truly as beautiful as the rumors say?" The Duke laughed heartily.

The word "also" made Lucas blurt, "So others have the same idea—ah, but of course they would."

In short, most assumed Guillaume would choose "Louisa of Brudo" as his bride—not just because his prior actions hinted at his interest in her, but also because marrying her would bring immense benefits to Vasson’s heir.

Brudo bordered the royal domain to the east. Once united through marriage, their heir would inherit a vast and fertile territory. Even if another heiress offered land of comparable size, none could rival the strategic value of "Louisa of Brudo."

Thus, barring unforeseen circumstances, Guillaume’s choice was all but certain. This made the Balzacs the most sought-after matches for those previously distant from Guillaume’s faction. Suddenly, every unmarried Balzac became a coveted partner.

Seeing Lucas’s dismay, the Duke clapped him on the shoulder. "Don’t sweat it, my friend. This isn’t as hard as it seems. For a young man like you—heir to a barony, son of the Guard Captain—finding a wife should be effortless. True, marrying a Balzac girl might be tricky now, but not impossible."

"After all, whether elder or younger, a Balzac is a Balzac. And you, as a baron’s heir, would suit the daughter of a baron from their family perfectly."

In the past, Lucas would have turned up his nose at marrying a baron’s daughter. Men of his standing could typically marry upward—a duke’s daughter had been within reach. And with his noble lineage (perhaps even royal blood) or favor with powerful figures, a duke’s daughter was not out of the question.

Lucas fell into this category. His father was the Queen’s favored Captain of the Guard! Marrying the daughter of a count had been a realistic goal—provided the duke was not one of the top-tier dukes and had multiple daughters to spare. A baron’s heir wedding a duke’s daughter was hardly unheard of.

After all, there aren’t that many counts, and it’s impossible for every duke’s daughter to marry a count or another duke. As for marrying the non-inheriting sons of other dukes or counts, it's far better to wed a young man who can inherit a barony!

Now, the situation has reversed—even if Lucas wants to marry a baron’s daughter from the Balzac family, it still depends on luck. Don’t be misled by the Duke of Westminster’s confident tone. In truth, he’s always been like this—prone to exaggeration, and his words should be taken with skepticism. As for those who get their hopes up only to be disappointed, would he ever face consequences?

At least not yet... He is the Duke of Westminster, after all, and he usually steers clear of powerful figures, content to play the idle noble with his circle of frivolous friends. Even if his overpromising offends some, what does it matter? Those people are just fellow playboys—hardly in a position to trouble the Duke of Westminster!

“I hope so, but this isn’t as simple as it seems,” Lucas shook his head. “There are only so many Balzac barons, and their unmarried daughters are in high demand. Given the current situation, I might end up either marrying a knight’s daughter or having to search among the noblewomen of Brunda for a cousin of Lady Balzac.”

Within the Brunda territory, apart from the count, there are only barons and knights. The count has only two legitimate daughters—Louisa and Eva—while the illegitimate ones are already married. So, for those seeking a marital alliance through the Balzac line, the first option is to look among the Balzac barons. But with so many interested parties, there might indeed be a shortage of barons’ daughters to go around.

In that case, one would either have to settle for a knight’s daughter from the Balzac family—purely for the sake of the surname—or insist on marrying at least a baron’s daughter and turn to Louisa’s cousins on Count Balzac’s side—cousins through Count Balzac, not her mother’s line.

Louisa’s maternal relatives are too distant, and unlike in modern times, paternal and maternal cousins were viewed differently in the past—paternal cousins were often considered closer. For instance, in *Dream of the Red Chamber*, Xue Baochai and Lin Daiyu are both cousins, but Baochai is generally seen as a "guest," while Daiyu is treated more as "family" by the Jia household—a small reflection of the strong influence of patriarchy.