Long Live the Emperor: Chapter 27 (Patreon)

Days passed quickly, with Mabel joining Alvin nearly every night alongside Clover and Firebrand. Mabel wasn’t particularly talented at seeing mana, but she was talented at working with Firebrand, and the fire spirit was now even able to light candles through Mabel’s body in the real world.

At first, Alvin had been a bit worried about the two of them after the whole possession incident, and he asked Mabel if she wanted him to stop Firebrand from bothering her. The result had been unexpected.

“No, please!” Mabel begged. “I want to be part of your world, and Firebrand is willing to be my doorway.”

Alvin shrugged at that. Since both parties seemed happy, he was willing to leave the two of them to their own devices. Their combined behavior was also admittedly pretty fun to be around. Firebrand was impulsive, whereas Mabel was reserved, and Mabel was controlled, whereas Firebrand was careless. Between the two, they became a bold woman who knew what she wanted and was more than happy to flirt with Alvin in ways Mabel never would have alone.

Her presence also meant someone like Magus Terrance would have a hard time ever doing anything to Mabel again. And Firebrand enjoyed being able to control a human body. They’d even taken to appearing in the Dreamrealm as one entity as of late, which had Alvin a little confused sometimes, but seemed to have a beneficial effect on focusing Firebrand and her abilities.

Without Mabel, the fire spirit was flighty and got bored easily, but with her, it was much easier to spend the whole day fighting and harvesting minor spirits for their power.

Alvin’s perception of mana grew with each passing day, and as the wedding approached, they started seeming as plain to him as colors painted over the world in brilliant streaks. His abilities grew along with his spirit, and while before he’d needed to hold Clover’s hand to do any life magic at all, now he could grab a bundle of her power, take it into himself, and use it long after she’d wandered off with Mabel.

He’d started using that power on himself to great effect. Without daily sword practice, Aldrich’s body had started going soft. Alvin was changing that, and before long, he was certain he could make himself as fit as ever, even if he did nothing but sleep all day and eat pastries between naps.

Another change he felt was the fact that he no longer had to have Clover and Firebrand kill minor demons for him. As his soul and mastery of his powers grew, so too did his own abilities. With a bundle of either of their power, he could wander the area around the destroyed castle without fear and kill anything that tried to attack him. Before, he’d been prey, but now he was the predator.

The only place Clover said he couldn’t go was into the ruins of the castle itself. There were ancient dangers there laying in wait, locked up years ago by the man who once owned this castle back when it was whole. Alvin trusted her judgment and kept to the clearing around it, with occasional runs into the edges of the forest as well, at least while he was alone.

One day while wandering, he discovered something particularly interesting. He stumbled across a beast that looked astonishingly like Magus Terrance.

He walked on four legs, each limb a bit smaller and stumpier than he remembered. He was naked and climbed a tree like an ape, throwing pinecones and branches at anyone approaching. His features were only barely recognizable as having once been human, and if not for the wounds on his body, Alvin would have thought this was simply an ape-like spirit that happened to look similar to the dead mage.

But no, this spirit was definitely Magus Terrance, or what was left of him. The spirit even seemed to remember Alvin, as he spat and snarled when he spotted him.

At first, Alvin considered hunting down and killing the spirit, but the bestial look in its eyes made him reconsider. There was no intelligence left in there.

But would the magus regain his humanity? The only way Alvin would ever know the answer to that question was if he waited and watched. So he left the creature alive for now but resolved to keep an eye on it in case it looked like it was ever going to become a problem.

For now, though, he had more important things to concern him.

“Alvin, do you remember what day it is?” Mabel called. She’d been getting more used to calling him by his real name here in the Dreamrealm, though she still had to call him Aldrich whenever they were up and about in the real world.

“I remember, Mabel,” Alvin chuckled. “It’s time for our wedding rehearsal.”

“Everyone thinks we’re busy rehearsing what we’ll do after the wedding is over.” Mabel winked with a sly smile. “You know, the kind of thing everyone expects of a new husband and wife.”

If the little burning ember in the center of Mabel’s forehead wasn’t enough for Alvin to realize Firebrand was inside there, too, he knew now. The two of them together were rather fond of reminding him that everyone thought they were having non-stop daily sexual marathons. A few of the guards had even asked Alvin for his secret.

This was the best use of Alvin’s time, though. With Count Grandhill in the barony, his and Mabel’s personal responsibilities had dropped to nothing. But unlike before, people were now learning about how Alvin would regain his old titles after the marriage, so people were starting to curry favor with him without the slightest bit of effort.

Alvin left the Dreamrealm, and Mabel joined him in the real world, with Firebrand still inside her. The two grabbed Alvin’s hand and practically dragged him to the wedding stand that had been assembled over the past few days. The wedding organizer Mabel’s mother had hired was already there waiting for them, and he ran the two of them through both the ceremony and their oath several times.

Mabel picked things up rather fast, as she’d grown up in this world’s culture, always expecting to get married in this way. Things were a little different for Alvin though, since he had no idea what they were doing when they first started.

Still, he found the whole ceremony rather interesting. They used rings here to signify marriage, just like back on earth, but they weren’t quite as strict. The actual symbol of marriage could match pendants, a tattoo, or even a locked collar on some of the more one-sided noble political marriages.

Alvin feared he’d be on the less fortunate side of one of those, but he and Mabel had argued with her mother in his favor, and they settled on a pair of matching gold rings. Alvin hadn’t seen them yet, but Mabel’s mother had and assured the two of them they were both comfortable and lovely.

Speaking of Mabel’s mother...

“Oh, daughter, he is rather handsome, after all! Here I thought the menacing, evil Baron Aldrich had to be a battle-scared maniac, but it turns out he’s adorable!” Lady Grandhill pinched Alvin’s cheek as she embraced her soon-to-be son-in-law. “Tell me, Baron Aldrich. How are my daughter’s oral skills? Has she been doing anything interesting with her tongue? I tried to teach her a few tricks that worked wonders on her father.”

“Mom!” Mabel cried, desperate to get her mother to shut up. Even Firebrand’s presence couldn’t mitigate the embarrassment her mother could put her through.

“Oh, hush now, dear. If you can’t handle a single conversation about blowjobs, however, will you gossip and knit with the rest of the noblewomen after you’re married?”

Mother and daughter glared at one another a bit, and Alvin caught Count Grandhill’s eye as he sat nearby filling out paperwork under the open sun.

“So, how’s this really going to go down?” Alvin asked once he was out of sight of Mabel, the wedding planner, and everyone else buzzing around.

“Exactly as discussed,” Count Grandhill chuckled. “A surprisingly large number of barons accepted your wedding invitation. Nearly the entire region will be there! I wish I could claim that they were all there for my daughter’s big day... but she was never all that liked among the other girls her age. I suspect many of them plan on showing up to feel me out. They want to know if I plan on continuing my conquests.”

“I suspect a few of them are coming just to see me humbled as well,” Alvin added.

Count Grandhill wore a wry smile. “I would not mention that reason, but I suspect you may be correct. You are notorious for your pride and arrogance, if you don’t mind me saying. Seeing you bend the knee will be quite something. And if you don’t mind saying, it’ll add quite a bit to my credentials as a conqueror. You have the respect of many warriors, and if I announce you’re going to lead my troops, we may get some of them shaking in their boots before the fight even begins!”

“And that will work well with your plans to conqueror their baronies without a fight.”

“Quite. You know, you know more about my plans now than even my own daughter does,” Count Grandhill chuckled. “None of my children have sword skills like you do, and your family line is long and well-respected, which makes you a good sire for a grandchild of mine. I rarely mention this, but what grandchildren I have are a bit too pampered and soft for my tastes. If you and Mabel can do better, your firstborn son might very well end up inheriting an entire duchy when I kick the bucket!”

The count took a sip from his wine, eyes twinkling despite considering his own mortality.

“What about your other children?” Alvin asked. Mabel had a lot of siblings, and he was certain that one of them had to be a son. Surely Count Grandhill would prefer one of them to be his heir.

“I advise you to talk to Mabel’s siblings. They should start arriving today. I think you’ll know why you and Mabel are my last hope for a proper heir.” The count sighed and took a long swig of wine, clearly holding back some long-held troubles.

“I will do that. I suppose it would be wise for me to meet my new family...” Alvin muttered.

***

Alvin did as Count Grandhill asked, and sure enough, Mabel’s siblings started arriving one by one. He learned a few things just from watching them arrive.

The first two were Mabel’s older brother and sister.

“Hmf. Father sent the army away to conquer this dump? The streets are dirty, and the manor is tiny!” She harrumphed as she tried to avoid stepping on the dirt as she walked out of her carriage. She ultimately failed, as the path was a dirt road.

“Sister, don’t be harsh. Not all noble families are as wealthy as ours,” a male voice said. That had to be Mabel’s brother. He sounded normal enough and not stuck up at all. Alvin was uncertain why Mabel’s father wouldn’t want to make him the heir -- at least until the man emerged.

The carriage drivers disembarked first, and from the back, they withdrew a chair equipped with a pair of wagon wheels. Then they entered the carriage and scooped up the young lord of the Grandhill family and carried him to his chair.

His legs were bony, withered things. Anyone could tell at a glance he couldn’t even stand on them, let alone walk.

From what Alvin had gathered, a lord didn’t have to be a fine fighter, but it was certainly helpful. Count Grandhill wore armor and a sword, and Alvin didn’t doubt he had at least a passing understanding of how to use them. But this man probably couldn’t fight at all, chair-bound as he was.

It might still be possible for him to rule if he excelled in other areas, but he’d be starting several steps behind. Somehow though, Alvin knew it wasn’t being crippled that disqualified him from inheriting his father’s county.

“Stop kissing up to every poverty-stricken mayor we meet.” Mabel’s sister rolled her eyes. “I know you’re dickless, but you’re not spineless, are you?”

And that would do it...

Alvin was glad he hadn’t needed to ask. Handing off his county to a crippled heir would be bad. Handing it off to one who couldn’t even make heirs of his own would lead to certain chaos down the line.

“Welcome both of you to my home,” Alvin said as he greeted the two. Mabel’s brother in the wheelchair smiled and stuck out his hand, which Alvin gladly shook and accepted.

“A pleasure to meet you, at last, Baron Aldrich!” Mabel’s brother said. He looked to be younger than Alvin, but only by a year or two. “I’m Bernard, but you can call me Bert!”

“The pleasure is all mine, Lord Bert. You can call me Al.” Alvin smiled.

Meanwhile, Mabel’s sister looked Alvin up and down. She seemed to like what she saw because she tossed her hair back before holding out the back of her hand.

“I will allow you to kiss it,” she said, wiggling her fingers in Alvin’s face.

Alvin held back a twinge of annoyance, but that was a common way to greet a lady of her standing. Some women like Mabel preferred a good handshake like her brother, but others clung more fiercely to traditionally feminine manners.

“And greetings to you as well,” Alvin said as he rose.

“And I know I should need no introduction,” Mabel’s sister said. “Since you settled for my sister, I know you were no doubt lusting after me in secret all along, no matter how high and mighty you acted. Don’t worry, my fiance’s an oaf, and I plan on cheating on him as soon as he gives me a ring, so you may still get your chance.”

Bert winced at his sister’s poor manners. “Forgive my sister. She has an odd sense of humor, and I’m certain she wants to impress you. She is Cathrine, and I’m certain she’s pleased to meet you. She has a painting of you she stole from Mabel’s room when they were children.”

“Hey, dickless! Shut your mouth!” Cathrine hissed at her brother.

“Allow me to escort you two into the manor.” Alvin flashed Bert a smile while ignoring Cathrine. She struck him as trouble, and he’d need to keep an eye out for her. The last thing Alvin wanted was a surprise nighttime visitor discovering Clover sleeping in his bed. Perhaps the guards on his door would actually have to do some guarding for once instead of just watching him.

Bert seemed like someone worth getting to know, though, from the way the guards looked to Cathrine instead of him. It was clear she held far greater status within their house than he did. Being a physical cripple probably crippled his influence with his father’s men. Nobody expected him to be the heir, so none of his ministers would bother cultivating a relationship with him. Still, he had good ears, and he knew quite a bit, especially about the inner workings of his family.

Bert told Alvin about his other siblings. He had one more brother and a sister besides Mabel.

“I warn you, they’re probably going to be late,” Bert said. “And for my brother, you’re going to want to keep a lot of alcohol on hand.”

“He’s a heavy drinker, I take it?”

“More than a heavy drinker. He has the soul of a fish that belongs in a barrel,” Bert chuckled. “But really, the alcohol is the only thing that keeps him sated. His physician will bring plenty of poppy seed paste to sate his other needs, but he’ll need the alcohol as well.”

“Ah. I’ll make arrangements.” Alvin frowned. One son was a cripple, and the other an addict. Alvin was feeling a bit bad for Count Grandhill.

“My sister is the one you really want to watch out for,” Bert warned. “She’s been known to get into trouble when left to her own devices. She may ask for you to send her a village girl or two to assist her. Don’t fall for it. She’s a girl of dark and peculiar tastes.”

Alvin frowned. “Like what?”

“Several of the maids back home found themselves disfigured. Father had to break with custom and assign her a butler in waiting instead of a maid in waiting. And her butler is trained in unarmed self-defense,” Bert explained.

“For his own well-being, I take it?”

“Exactly.”

Alvin sighed. “I will warn the guards if they don’t already know.”

All in all, it seemed like Mabel was the normal one in the family.

Note:

So I’ve shifted Mabel’s siblings around a little. Originally, my idea was that Mabel was one of Count Grandhill’s less successful kids and that her father probably didn’t think she could manage ruling on her own. Which is still probably true since she’s more interested in swordsmanship than rulership. But now I’m thinking I’ll rework her family as a bit more dysfunctional. It would explain why her father is in a rush to conqueror the region, stabalize it, and then get a proper heir in place before he gets too old to lead an army.

I think it works a bit better with my current plans, though that might change. Also I have to go back and fix any prior references to Mabel’s family. But I’ll probably just be lazy and leave those inconsistencies to clean up during the rewrite.