Verrus - Peering out the window
ASF Tharneshvaya Commanding Officer's Personal Log
Entry #27
I find it more and more difficult to get out of bed on the mornings that I have spent overnight with Livilla. She's so gorgeous lying there and it's incredibly difficult to leave. However, I get things done, and she enjoys the extra sleep.
Liv's father has been giving her the silent treatment. I expect this will pass. My father can be very charming and convincing and it would be very inconsiderate of the Baron Van-Siriel to greet the discussion rudely or brusquely. And, if Jonisai goes through with declaring Ascarion to be a Kingdom or Empire, there will be two more ranks added to the peerage, at which point, there is even more room for promotion and higher ranks to obtain, along with more power in the Pariliament.
As it stands, each higher rank in the peerage, along with being more exclusive to get in to, is also alloted more votes. Not to mention the extra territories and revenues. Of course, previous titles can be passed on to others or held for extra votes, were the holder, say, a baron, also made a Viscount. Generally speaking, a Baron holds a single system, a Viscount a subsector, an Earl a sector, and the Marquess holds the full of the Marches. However, the title of the Ascarion Marches is somewhat disingenious as it is a holdover from the bygone days when this area of space was the outer reaches of the Michtion Empire, and was held as an outpost region against the Wild Space that is now the territory of the "Free Lords of The Rim" or as we prefer to call it IGPF Space. It's technically a bunch of free planetary governments who all share a combined military and police force, but no one really believes that.
If Jonisai elevates herself to Queen of Acsarion, it will do a few things. First, she can use the Marquess/Marquis titles more accurately were she to create actual Marches along the borders, and she will also be able to create Dukes and Duchesses. Both are important, especially if she has her eyes on expanding into Michtion space.
Even if Baron Van-Siriel isn't given extra territory, if it can be worked that he is named Viscount Gliese, then at least there is a certain amount of increase in his level of peerage. More votes in Parliament, and the capacity to have one of the twins named Baron Van-Siriel if he so desires. Or, perhaps, get a line in on a second Barony for the other twin at the same time. That would then be more interesting at the very least. All sorts of things could be done with that, and then the family estate would be two planets, potentially more. I realize that my father doesn't have a terribly huge amount of pull, but the amount is more than zero and again, as someone who's not in line of succession, he has Jonisai's ear as an impartial advisor.
Given all this, I think it's likely that my father will find a way to convince Liv's father that it's in his best interest and the interest of his entire family to continue the discussion concerning contracts between our families. We also have a really really good house chef. Discussions and negotiations are always better over a good meal. Truth be told, I'm considerably more concerned with the likely scenario of melee combat with her brothers. Though Liv and I are starting to work better as a team, I suspect that the brothers Van-Siriel will be tough to beat. I'm significantly more confident if her sister tried to challenge me to a dogfight.
This is all dependent, of course, on my foot healing. Yesterday we were doing some dual-duel practicing. Liv and I starting to work as a team and I came down hard on my left foot and twisted it. Nothing tore, but it's strained and I need to take it easy for a few days. San-Guior has us for that period of time.
I expect that she'll be doing independent study on us for a week until she has the time to fully assess our strengths. This morning she put me through four gruelling hours of shield training. So, now my head and my foot both hurt and I'm struggling to dictate this entry while eating lunch. Probably explains why I meandered into a rambling interlude into the details of the nobility and peerage for a bit. And barely scratched the surface.
I'm worried about Livilla. This whole thing is taking a toll on her. We'll have to continue to find activities to distract her from the whole 'family' thing for a while. After I'm done with this, I'll be sending a missive to the Guillorys asking them to take care of dressing her family, and mother in particular, for the festivities. It'll be expensive, but significantly cheaper than what I've purchased for Liv so far, given that they need clothes for five days. Liv has a portable wardrobe for months.
I was actually hoping that Liv's parents wouldn't find out until the reception, but I suppose in all fairness, it's probably less of a ruckus for them to find out now and make arrangements to be there, than have it dropped on them in front of the entire nobility of the Marches and truly make them look like fools. I suppose I hadn't really thought that part through and in th end analysis, while unexpected, the interference of the Guillorys probably is for the best. I'm also reasonably positive that this was exactly their intent.
While I'm certain there were hoping to get us to hook up I'm also reasonably certain they didn't expect it to happen quite as fast as it did. Looking back on it, I'd say I'm completely stunned myself. Then again, the Mal-Cavantars tend to operate a little differently than everyone else and, let's be honest, when you're partially looking into each other's heads, there is a certain amount of the usual mating ritual bullshit you can skip.
We were also pressed into this by the sword hanging over each of our heads that if we didn't do this now, Liv might get betrothed off in three weeks to stars-only-know-who and I might have been in the same situation. With me, it would have been an annoyance, to Liv, it might have been career ending.
Looking at my situation, however, I don't think it would have come down to that. Someone has apparently done a lot of work to custom manufacture the traits in my head. That tells me that my procreation would not have been left to chance. It may still not be. Whomever did all this work was .very. thorough and they're not done yet. I can't imagine that we've seen the last of all this. Whomever sent the assassin onto my ship has a plan for me, and I think we've only seen the first act.
Entry #27
I find it more and more difficult to get out of bed on the mornings that I have spent overnight with Livilla. She's so gorgeous lying there and it's incredibly difficult to leave. However, I get things done, and she enjoys the extra sleep.
Liv's father has been giving her the silent treatment. I expect this will pass. My father can be very charming and convincing and it would be very inconsiderate of the Baron Van-Siriel to greet the discussion rudely or brusquely. And, if Jonisai goes through with declaring Ascarion to be a Kingdom or Empire, there will be two more ranks added to the peerage, at which point, there is even more room for promotion and higher ranks to obtain, along with more power in the Pariliament.
As it stands, each higher rank in the peerage, along with being more exclusive to get in to, is also alloted more votes. Not to mention the extra territories and revenues. Of course, previous titles can be passed on to others or held for extra votes, were the holder, say, a baron, also made a Viscount. Generally speaking, a Baron holds a single system, a Viscount a subsector, an Earl a sector, and the Marquess holds the full of the Marches. However, the title of the Ascarion Marches is somewhat disingenious as it is a holdover from the bygone days when this area of space was the outer reaches of the Michtion Empire, and was held as an outpost region against the Wild Space that is now the territory of the "Free Lords of The Rim" or as we prefer to call it IGPF Space. It's technically a bunch of free planetary governments who all share a combined military and police force, but no one really believes that.
If Jonisai elevates herself to Queen of Acsarion, it will do a few things. First, she can use the Marquess/Marquis titles more accurately were she to create actual Marches along the borders, and she will also be able to create Dukes and Duchesses. Both are important, especially if she has her eyes on expanding into Michtion space.
Even if Baron Van-Siriel isn't given extra territory, if it can be worked that he is named Viscount Gliese, then at least there is a certain amount of increase in his level of peerage. More votes in Parliament, and the capacity to have one of the twins named Baron Van-Siriel if he so desires. Or, perhaps, get a line in on a second Barony for the other twin at the same time. That would then be more interesting at the very least. All sorts of things could be done with that, and then the family estate would be two planets, potentially more. I realize that my father doesn't have a terribly huge amount of pull, but the amount is more than zero and again, as someone who's not in line of succession, he has Jonisai's ear as an impartial advisor.
Given all this, I think it's likely that my father will find a way to convince Liv's father that it's in his best interest and the interest of his entire family to continue the discussion concerning contracts between our families. We also have a really really good house chef. Discussions and negotiations are always better over a good meal. Truth be told, I'm considerably more concerned with the likely scenario of melee combat with her brothers. Though Liv and I are starting to work better as a team, I suspect that the brothers Van-Siriel will be tough to beat. I'm significantly more confident if her sister tried to challenge me to a dogfight.
This is all dependent, of course, on my foot healing. Yesterday we were doing some dual-duel practicing. Liv and I starting to work as a team and I came down hard on my left foot and twisted it. Nothing tore, but it's strained and I need to take it easy for a few days. San-Guior has us for that period of time.
I expect that she'll be doing independent study on us for a week until she has the time to fully assess our strengths. This morning she put me through four gruelling hours of shield training. So, now my head and my foot both hurt and I'm struggling to dictate this entry while eating lunch. Probably explains why I meandered into a rambling interlude into the details of the nobility and peerage for a bit. And barely scratched the surface.
I'm worried about Livilla. This whole thing is taking a toll on her. We'll have to continue to find activities to distract her from the whole 'family' thing for a while. After I'm done with this, I'll be sending a missive to the Guillorys asking them to take care of dressing her family, and mother in particular, for the festivities. It'll be expensive, but significantly cheaper than what I've purchased for Liv so far, given that they need clothes for five days. Liv has a portable wardrobe for months.
I was actually hoping that Liv's parents wouldn't find out until the reception, but I suppose in all fairness, it's probably less of a ruckus for them to find out now and make arrangements to be there, than have it dropped on them in front of the entire nobility of the Marches and truly make them look like fools. I suppose I hadn't really thought that part through and in th end analysis, while unexpected, the interference of the Guillorys probably is for the best. I'm also reasonably positive that this was exactly their intent.
While I'm certain there were hoping to get us to hook up I'm also reasonably certain they didn't expect it to happen quite as fast as it did. Looking back on it, I'd say I'm completely stunned myself. Then again, the Mal-Cavantars tend to operate a little differently than everyone else and, let's be honest, when you're partially looking into each other's heads, there is a certain amount of the usual mating ritual bullshit you can skip.
We were also pressed into this by the sword hanging over each of our heads that if we didn't do this now, Liv might get betrothed off in three weeks to stars-only-know-who and I might have been in the same situation. With me, it would have been an annoyance, to Liv, it might have been career ending.
Looking at my situation, however, I don't think it would have come down to that. Someone has apparently done a lot of work to custom manufacture the traits in my head. That tells me that my procreation would not have been left to chance. It may still not be. Whomever did all this work was .very. thorough and they're not done yet. I can't imagine that we've seen the last of all this. Whomever sent the assassin onto my ship has a plan for me, and I think we've only seen the first act.