Chapter 131

　　Prince Augustus, a current claimant to the Imperial throne and backed by five Ducal Houses, reviewed the information provided to him on the progress of the war.

　　Things hadn`t gone smoothly for the Prince over the last year. Argyle had stifled his every effort despite his early pains at securing support. Worse, he had just received news that Argyle had acquired the backing of Havencroft, a militarily and financially significant benefactor.

　　That news had left Augustus stunned for a moment. He had five houses behind him and had been in the lead for a majority for a time, but now they were even again. But that was only in votes for the Throne. Militarily, they had been in a stalemate. With Havencroft taking to the field, he was about to be pushed back on all fronts.

　　Augustus rubbed his eyes wearily. It had been a long year, stressful and tiring. If it hadn`t been for the fact that he knew that Argyle had been behind the attack, he would almost have considered making peace with his brother and ending this.

　　But there was no way he would make peace with his parent`s murderer.

　　"Mackenzie." Augustus called out to his most trusted aide. She had escaped the destruction of Terra by sheer luck and coincidence aboard a Guard fleet carrier. He was grateful to have her back at his side, taking some of the workload off of him.

　　The blond-haired woman stepped into the room from the open door, giving a slight bow as she did so. Wearing a uniform in black and gold, she was nearly as tall as him. She reached nearly seven feet tall, and her noble heritage was apparent at a glance. Born from a side branch of the Imperial Family, she had served him for centuries.

　　"You called, Your Grace?" She asked.

　　"Have the Carmichaels budged in their demands?" Augustus asked, already knowing the answer. Since the disparity between him and Argyle had become more evident, the demands from the Ducal Houses for their support had grown with it.

　　He had to make compromises and concessions to draw them in, things that he hadn`t dreamed he would be willing to do. They knew that he was weaker than Argyle and that his chances of obtaining the throne were slim, so they knew they could demand more from him in exchange for their support.

　　It was nearly to the point that even if he did obtain the throne, he would be little more than a figurehead. The thought would have been unacceptable a year ago, but he found that as the war went on, it ground down his arrogance and self-respect.

　　He was willing to make a deal with the devil himself if it meant keeping his brother from becoming Emperor.

　　"No, Your Grace. In fact, they have additional stipulations." Mackenzie replied, causing Augustus to let out a sigh and lean back in his chair. He looked out the window of his office to the space surrounding the massive space station that served as his headquarters.

　　Located near Naice, it was a monument to human technological achievement. Nearly the size of a moon, it served as an important trade and military outpost, with tens of thousands of Mobile Suits, hundreds of Starships and tens of millions of people living there permanently, with millions more passing through on their travels.

　　"Of course they do." Augustus muttered. Wearily, he looked back to his aide.

　　Carmichael was the only holdout amongst the Ducal Houses, and they were also one of the most powerful. They were equal to Havencroft, and their support would mean he would be on equal footing against Argyle again.The author`s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

　　But like every House that was willing to support the weaker party, their help came at an exorbitant price. They were willing to gamble on him in order for greater rewards.

　　"Notify Duke and Duchess Carmichael that I accept."

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　　Of the four children of Emperor Aurelius and Empress Amelia, only Argyle and Amara were married.

　　Argyle had wed a noble daughter of Grandster, but they had no children. As was customary for the Nobility, the couple had both provided samples for the Imperial Genetic Engineers, who prepared them for artificial insemination in the incubation chambers.

　　But there was a reason they never birthed a child. Argyle had not been officially declared heir. Until there was clear succession, there could be no offspring to muddy the line. Augustus had never wed for the same reason. He was required to wait for his father`s notification of his chosen heir.

　　Argyle had only married a Grandster to acknowledge the Ducal Houses` loyalty to the Empire during the Rebellion.

　　Amara was the same. Her marriage of Magnus had been a reward to Havencroft. She had skirted the prohibition of royal children by announcing her removal from the line of succession, she and her children would be born into the House of Havencroft. The title of Prince` and Princess` was honorary and not a legitimate title.

　　As Augustus stood before Duke and Duchess Carmichael, these thoughts ran through his head. A younger couple, they were both less than a hundred years old and looked like they were in their teens. The Duke was tall and thin, with a small mustache that matched his blond hair.

　　The Duchess was a brunette, matching her husband`s height and possessing unparalleled beauty. Unlike her thin husband, Duchess Carmichael had a classic, hourglass figure that was accentuated by the low cut and tight dresses she preferred.

　　The Duke had married into the Carmichaels, his own family an Earldom in their territory. The Duchess` parents had retrieved her from the birthing pods when they were elderly. A defect in their genetic line had rendered most of their offspring inviable, leaving only a single child to inherit.

　　"Prince Augustus, it is an honour for Your Grace to visit us this day." The Duchess spoke first from where she stood. She gave a deep curtsey, more to show off her considerable assets to the prince rather than a show of respect. Her husband bowed, little more than a tilt of his head.

　　"We can skip the pleasantries, Duchess Carmichael. I feel like a stud horse, paraded before a crowd before a purchase. You have made your demands in return for your support clear." Augustus returned, turning to one of the Ducal staff and gesturing for a drink.

　　The Duchess smiled widely at the comment, inclining her head.

　　"And what a stud you are, my prince. Very well. Your aide told us you are amenable, but I would like to hear from you." The Duchess replied, moving over to a large sitting area to the side of their room.

　　Augustus drained the glass in his hand, barely tasting the liquor before the burn of the alcohol drove away the distaste of this meeting. He set the glass on the table to the side of him before responding.

　　"House Carmichael will receive significant tax breaks and economic incentives in return for their complete support in placing me on the throne. I will divide the partition of the Havencroft Sector between you and my other allies. Furthermore, your house will be first amongst equals in my court." Augustus finished.

　　The Duchess glanced at her husband, weighing the effect of Augustus` words before replying.

　　"And our other request?" She asked, her words drawn out and tone sultry. Even to the usually calm and detached Augustus, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

　　"Agreed. I will marry your daughter immediately, and children of our union will be birthed as soon as the Geneticists can manage. I will also abdicate the throne within three hundred years in favour of my firstborn child. Your Grandchild will be Emperor or Empress." Augustus spoke, the words easier to say than he had thought they would.

　　At the declaration, Duchess Carmichael smiled widely.

　　"Excellent. There is one final thing. Princess Marella and Baron Caledon have wronged Malik. I want them dealt with." She explained, the vindictiveness and spite clear on her face.

　　"That is one thing I cannot agree to. They are under the protection of Argyle and the Havencrofts. If you want them dealt with, you will need to work that out amongst yourselves. I do not have the ability to deliver on that request." Augustus explained.

　　The Duchess thought for a moment before nodding. She raised her hand, spitting into her palm before offering her hand to Augustus. She smiled at the disgust on his face at her actions.

　　"Is this not how ancient Terran horse traders agreed to terms? I thought it appropriate for our purchase of a stud." Duchess Carmichael explained, and her husband laughed loudly, the first sound he had made since Augustus` arrival.

　　Stifling his disgust, Augustus gripped her hand firmly. He felt as though he had sold his soul.