111: Who Is On Your Side?

June 21, 2022 – 3 minutes read – 443 words

I started to move actively the next day.
I’ve got to host an Engagement Announcement Party.
Sonaris let me know that the Royal Family has given their approval.

For now, I’ll send out invitations to the families I’m close with.
That’s the Canaan family, the Dixon family, the Simon family that Wayne is marrying into, and the Royal Family.
In those invitations, I asked them to recommend houses that would appreciate an invitation.
Friends of friends could become new friends.

I want to identify the houses that are willing to become my ally as soon as possible.
Up to now, seven houses were destroyed because their various plans failed due to my actions.
When you think of how noble families are connected by marriage, there’s plenty of families that should have a grudge against me.
In addition, I’m an upstart, so there will be other families who dislike me based on that.

The party was set for two months from now.

I started to receive RSVP’s from the invitations I sent out.

The Canaan family all agreed to attend.
They’re bringing the families of Uncle Trolla’s wives.
The Canaan family doesn’t participate in factions.
They’re a staunchly military family and maintain their Baron status by decorated military service.
This did lead to the Baron needing to marry his sister to a loan shark Baron after a series of bad harvests, so their stance does have its downsides.

The Dixon family also agreed to attend and they’re bringing some families of their faction.
The Simon family also agreed along with Wayne’s family, the Kimble family.
They’re bringing some of their friendly houses.

I need to explain a bit about the Simon family.
The wife of Lieutenant General Simon is the King’s sister.
That’s why none of the many daughters of the Simon family will be considered to be engaged to the Royal Family.
It would draw criticism or worse if the Simon family becomes too closely linked to the Royal Family.

The Royal Family agreed to attend with His Majesty, the Queen, the Queen’s family and houses of their faction, and the Crown Prince and his wife.
The second and third wives of the King are not coming.

If you add all them together, something like a quarter of the Kingdom’s aristocrats are planning to attend.
I did not expect anywhere near that amount.

Can I fit that many people into the Snake mansion? It’s only a former Viscount’s mansion, so it’s not large enough.

I wrote a letter to the King asking what to do immediately.
He replied that the Baronets and Knights should be asked to not attend because of venue size.