Whispers of the Gods

Chapter 12 Sigmund I
Sigmund Miriam stood by the throne and looked at the nobles in front of him, his heart was beating rapidly, and his breathing was also heavy.

But he was not nervous for himself, but for the queen beside him.

The Jaegerska Palace in the Hall of Ashes is the place where the Vivaria kings lived and where the Kingdom Council is held twice a year.

Every six months, nobles from all over the kingdom come here to make decisions on the management and legal affairs of the kingdom.

Here, all families must temporarily put aside their respective blood feuds and maintain a state of peace with each other. This is the rule set by the first king Leon I, and it is also the tradition followed by the leaders of the previous Vivalia tribes in the kingdom.

What calmed Sigmund a little was that Queen Lozaria didn't seem panicked.

She was dressed in a red velvet gown, her eyes were closed, and her shoulder-length blond hair flowed over the back of the throne seat.

The expression on her face was one of pure relaxation, as if the crowd in front of her didn't have much effect on her.

Sigmund couldn't help but wonder if he could still see such a calm and beautiful queen after today, because these nobles were all big troubles.

"Master Sigmund," Lozaria opened her blue eyes, like two sapphires inlaid on black velvet, she looked up at him with long curled eyelashes, "what's wrong?"

Only then did Sigmund realize that he had been staring at the queen, and quickly bowed his head and apologized: "It's nothing, my majesty the queen."

He couldn't express the worry in his heart. The queen was young, inexperienced, and had never received any training to be a ruler.

Instead, these hateful nobles skipped the two older princes and elected her to the throne because they thought she was not a threat, these bastards.

Although the dukes of Vivaria were not united, and border conflicts broke out from time to time, they all maintained the same opinion on limiting the royal power.

In the wide hall, long wooden tables stretched from end to end, with benches on either side.

At the other end a great fire crackled and crackled in the grate, and smoke poured from the mass of timber piled upon it.

The benches were filled with important figures of the kingdom: barons, earls, dukes, priests.

All were dressed in rich clothes, some of which cost more than most commoners would earn in a lifetime.

Many people had gathered around the frontmost table, the Duke of Lysek sitting next to High Priest Bartolic, and the Duke of Yarus sitting directly opposite him.

They chatted and laughed among themselves, but their eyes flicked to Sigmund from time to time.

"Your Majesty," Sigmund said, "you must be careful of this group of people, Duke Lesek Zarek of the Rock Pit City, Duke Marius Jagoron of the Crowfield City, and Al The relationship between Duke Jarus Perk of Norburg and High Priest Bartolic Zarek is very good, they have never been friends of the royal family."

"I will remember it," Lozaria said with a smile, "Thank you, Lord Sigmund."

Sigmund bowed slightly, he knew that it would not be long before those ambitious nobles would attack Lozaria.

He wanted to do everything he could to help the young queen, but all he could do now was alert her to potential danger.

"My lords," Lozaria tried to draw the council's attention, but the people in the hall didn't respond as if they hadn't heard her shout.

"Adults!" Sigmund walked to the table and hammered it three times with his palm, "It's time to start the discussion in the parliament."

The nobles gradually calmed down just now.

The first proposal of the parliament was to abolish the exclusive hunting rights of the royal Corva family to King Lin. Just like Sigmund thought, this group of nobles felt that their chance had come.

"The king's forest has always been the property of the royal family, and its hunting rights are exercising their birthright," Sigmund said.

"I have no intention of coveting, Lord Seal," Duke Franciak Domanche, the "fat fish" of Weiqing City, said with a smile on his fat face, "I just propose that Her Majesty the Queen Lin shared with us."

"The royal family is responsible for the protection and maintenance of the king's forest," Sigmund replied, "and I didn't hear a word in the proposal that you would share the burden of the royal family. I think you want to enjoy the benefits without performing the random tasks." The responsibility that comes with it."

Duke Franciac glanced at Lozaria quickly, but quickly turned his gaze to Sigmund.

"The king's forest is so big, even if the royal family shares the hunting rights, everyone will still have enough prey."

"And it doesn't look like Her Majesty the Queen will go hunting in the King's Forest." The "Hornless Bull" Duke Yarus Perk of Ernoburg Territory interjected.

He was bald on the top of his head, and the rest of his hair fell to the left and right, and the black hair was already quite grey.

Yarus' thin face was accentuated by wrinkles, and he had a mustache and a high nose.

"Watch your tone, Lord Yarus." Sigmund warned.

"What? Is there something wrong with me?" Yarus asked. "I'm just stating the facts."

"You're making fun of your queen." Sigmund looked at Lozaria, who just looked at Yarus with interest.

"I think we can start voting," Franchak said.

Sigmund sighed and nodded helplessly.

Since the day when the Kingdom of Vivaria took advantage of the outbreak of the "Apostasy Rebellion" in the Hastza Empire and became independent from the emperor of Apolion, the king has been controlled by powerful nobles.

Although the major families elected Leon Colva of the Colva family as king, King Leon had to make huge compromises with the nobles as a price for their support, including the right to elect the king and the right to parliament.

Sometimes, Sigmund felt that although the king ruled the kingdom, the nobles ruled the king.

Every landed lord and clergyman has a vote, but the higher the title the more powerful the nobility, and barons and earls generally support their dukes, just as priests support their high priests.

Therefore, the decision-making power in the parliament basically depends on the ideas of the dukes and the high priest.

Many of the proposals that followed were driven by the greed and ambition of the nobles.

They discussed how to spend the kingdom's money on themselves, how to reduce the royal family's taxes on them, how to increase more serfs, and how to build more temples.

Queen Lozaria hadn't said a word since the parliament, just watched the nobles speak quietly, and Sigmund felt that she was frightened.

After all, this was her first parliamentary session since taking the throne, and it was an occasion that reminded her of how the kingdom really works.

"Your Majesty," High Priest Bathoryk stood up from his seat and said to Lozaria, "I think it's time to discuss your husband's choice."

After finishing speaking, affirmative voices came from the crowd.

"Her Majesty should marry Ser Timon!"

A nobleman shouted that he had previously proposed in Parliament to use the treasury to compensate for the failure of the farmland under his command.

"Under the laws of the kingdom, Her Majesty cannot decide who her future husband will be until after her coronation," Sigmund said.

"We're just discussing here," Francak Domanche said with a flattering smile, "What does Her Majesty think of my eldest son, Hubert?"

"Ha, let's forget about your son, he looks like a pig even more than you." Jarus Perk's ridicule caused the people around him to burst into laughter.

"What did you say?" Duke Franciac blushed with anger.

"Your son is too ugly to be a lord, let alone the queen's husband." Yarus laughed again.

Franciak rushed towards Jarus, throwing him to the ground with all his strength.

He grabbed Duke Yarus' neck and squeezed it desperately. Yarus struggled desperately with his blushing face, but he couldn't escape from Franchak's strong grasp.

"Stop me now!" Sigmund yelled, "Guards!"

A dozen guards came in from the door, quickly separated the two and controlled Franchek.

"Yarus, get up, you bastard! I will not allow you to insult my family for the second time! I will kill you!"

roared the Duke Franciac, desperately trying to break free from the guards.

Yarus stood up with trembling legs, and he looked at Franciak with hatred in his eyes.

"Enough farce today," said Sigmund. "Guards, let Duke Franciac go outside and calm down."

"Your Majesty," Sigmund said to Lozaria, "we shall stop here today."

"Wait, Lord Sigmund." The queen stood up from her throne, and this was the first time she had spoken since the parliament.

"I will decide on my future husband at my coronation."

Lozaria smiled and said to the nobles that there was no tremor in her melodious voice.

"At that time, I will carefully consider it and ask all the adults to bring the candidates you think are suitable to the banquet."

Sigmund looked at Lozaria in front of him, feeling a little puzzled.

"Your Majesty, it's better to have a long-term plan for this matter." Sigmund reminded softly.

"It's all right, Sigmund," said Lozaria. "It's a problem that has to be solved sooner or later, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)