“...And in thanks to those who have served the crown so loyally in this great time of crisis, it is only right that they receive rewards just as great as the actions that they have performed.” King Aled finally moved on to the bit that most of the King’s allies were actually interested in. Though Braydon could not be sure if it had been a long time or not since he had mentally checked out at the start of the speech, from the faces of those around him he could guess it had not been short.

“Marquess Burgess, in honour of your great courage on the field of battle and willingness to stand against the odds to protect the King’s armies at the Harmony, the King has decided to elevate your title to Duke of Calton. With the death of Earl Blake and the lack of any successors, the King has taken the occasion to put the fief of Brasbury under your care.” Once the King had finished his bit, it was the crier’s time to step forward again to announce the King’s decisions. Considering how close to the King Cinar was, it was no surprise that he would get such a good reward. For all that could be said about Earl Blake, his was the best fiefdom in the country. And since it was fortuitously vacated it had been put under better management.

“I graciously accept such undeserving rewards, Your Highness.” Cinar bowed in the manner of a Marquess for the last time, now that he was a bona fide Duke, he would only need to lower his head to the King. It was not a surprise to many that Cinar would become a Duke after this. The only reason that he had not become one at some point earlier was due to the opposition of the other Dukes. Two of whom were now out of the picture. That Earl Blake’s land had been awarded to him might have disappointed some, but it was not surprising at all. It was a neighbouring territory and Cinar’s own fief was a mere third its original size after the last war with the Leighians.

“Earl Forton, for your efforts in aiding the King in the immediate aftermath of Cecil Ryder’s betrayal, King Aled I has decided to award you a permanent residence in Boshil. Along with this, your lands are exempted from royal taxes for the next five years. For your service in advising the King, you will be given the title of honorary Duke.” After a few more people were called out, it was Ethan’s turn under the limelight. Although his rewards could not be compared to Cinar’s, there was not much else that the King could give him shy of a second earldom. Whilst he had given one to now Duke Burgess, that did not mean that they grew on trees.

“I humbly thank Your Highness.” Ethan bowed. As far as Braydon could tell, he did not seem disappointed with this. Before the war had broken out, it had not been long since Ethan had finished rebuilding the mess that he had inherited. Braydon would not be surprised if Ethan had asked the King to not to give him more land before the ceremony.

“Earl Downs, for your valour in leading on the battlefield and service in advising the King, your title will be elevated to Marquess and all of the lands under your current purview will be merged into your current fiefdom.” If all of the previous rewards given out had been somewhat expected, this was one that not many people saw coming. It was well known that some of the more powerful nobles would occupy the lands of their rivals after a scuffle. Braydon had done it himself. But it was taken to another level amongst the more independent minded lords of the northeast. And Downs did not become one of the most powerful lords there by peaceful means alone. Along with his own fief, the lands that he occupied could already make a small Duchy. And the King had just recognised that.

“It would be my great honour, my King.” Whilst there were a few strange looks thrown about, Downs was not about to linger in front of such a great thing. Even if it meant that he would be seen with more hostility by his neighbouring lords, this was still a boon to him. He did not mind helping the crown in ‘taming the locals’. If the previous rewards were just about rewarding the King’s allies, this was a political statement from the King. He would be redoubling the long Fiverian royal tradition of trying to tame the northeastern lords.

“Viscount…” After the earls that had sided with the King it was time for the viscounts and barons. And comparatively there were a lot more viscounts and barons that had sided with the crown than earls. The rewards for most of them were not something great like had been given to now Duke Burgess and Marquess Downs, mostly residences in the capital that belonged to the dead or deposed of the civil war or small tax breaks. Hence Braydon could see that he would be waiting for a while. And a while it was. An entire hour.

“Viscount Fiton.” Braydon stepped forward, perking up once his name was called. He could see it was similar for most lords. While he was a viscount, he was closer to the King than most, held more power than most and contributed more to the war than all of the other viscounts combined. This would probably be the last significant reward given.

“In light of your service to the King in aiding in the immediate aftermath of Cecil Ryder’s betrayal, you will be given his old residence in the Boshil. For your service in opening up your lands to host the King and his army in a time of need and advising the King, the old Viscounty of Kirton will be put under your name. For the great feats your knight Sir Rhydian has performed on the battlefield and in leading the King’s men, your title will be lifted to that of Earl and both viscounties will be merged to form your new earldom.” Braydon had expected to get better rewards than the other viscounts and even some of the earls but this was far more than he had expected. Just as he was about to thank the King, the crier added one last thing.

“In thanks to your personal valour on the field of battle, merchants using your seal will not face restrictions of the embargo on the Grand Duchy of Shuluk.” The only thing that Braydon could wonder was if the King had heard his complaints earlier in the day. Followed by the realisation that the King almost certainly knew about his deal with the Duchess Regent.

“It would be my great honour to receive such undeserving rewards, Your Highness.” Braydon could feel the stares on his back as he bowed. He was about to be very busy.