Editing Tytania:Volume 3 Chapter 5 (section)

=== IV ===
Thus, on the 19<sup>th</sup> of March, during the meeting of the Council of the Five Families, the two Dukes of Tytania, Jouslain and Idris, arrived at their final confrontation. With Zarlisch and Ariabert’s seats vacant, and the remaining two in discord. The ranks of the four Tytanian dukes stood in a state of undeniable desolation compared to a year prior.

On this day, a decision had to be made regarding the appointment of the new Commander-in-Chief of the Bargash Expeditionary Force to replace Ariabert. It was a matter of great importance, yet the decision took no more than five minutes. This was due to Clanner Ajman seeking Jouslain’s opinion and Jouslain providing him with answers.

The matter should have been settled then, but Idris made an unexpected proposal. He suggested that, for Jouslain to serve as Commander-in-Chief, his ''protégée'' Princess Lydia of the Kingdom of Elbing should be left as a hostage to serve as proof that he had no divided loyalty toward His Clanner Highness.

What on earth was Idris thinking?

At that moment, Jouslain failed to grasp his cousin’s true intention. Princess Lydia as a hostage? Did this man seriously doubt Jouslain’s loyalty? Or was this merely an attempt at harassment? But even if it were harassment, what purpose would it serve? What meaning could there be in such an act, especially when it risked incurring Jouslain’s resentment?

Danger breathed a cold breath against the nape of Jouslain’s neck. He realised that a single careless response could prove fatal. Masking his expression, he bowed to the Clanner.

“I am a loyal subject of Tytania. Should Your Clanner Highness issue an order, I shall merely obey your will.”

While uttering words of praise, Jouslain bit into the bitter taste of regret. A man who was not omniscient could not foresee such things. However, if Princess Lydia’s name was to be brought up in a place and at such a moment, he should have simply abided by Clanner Ajman’s ruling at the end of last year. The Clanner had recommended that Princess Lydia be returned to her homeland, as she was the cause of the dispute between Viscount Balamy and Baron Radmoth. Taking advantage of the fact that it had not been a strict command, Jouslain had refused the recommendation and kept Princess Lydia by his side, waiting for the situation to blow over.

The Clanner spoke. His tone was one that no one else could possibly imitate.

“Lord Jouslain’s sincerity is known to all. To demand a hostage of him is a narrow-minded act that would only serve to damage our mutual trust.”

Watching the blood rush to Idris’ cheeks, the Clanner continued:

“Furthermore, if Lord Jouslain harboured any treasonous intentions, he would abandon even parents or children if they were hostages to raise an army. In any case, hostages and oaths are utterly futile.”

It was an incredibly biting remark. While the colour did not return to Idris’ cheeks, his eyes flashed with a fierce light. Out of the corner of his eye, Jouslain quickly expressed his gratitude for the Clanner’s trust and magnanimity.

It was at this moment that Jouslain made his decision. He would use this situation to lead Princess Lydia away from this dark nest of conspiracy. If the Princess were to remain in this space city, there was no telling what treatment she might endure at the hands of Idris.

The Clanner appeared to delight in the hostility and resentment brewing between Jouslain and Idris. Was he contemplating which one of them he would discard? Or was he perhaps wishing for them both to fall? A sensation akin to a toothache throbbed within Jouslain’s mental field.

Unlike Neville, the founder of Tytania, Ajman lacked the habit of roaring with a face full of fury. Being glared at by him made Jouslain feel as though he were undergoing a prosecutor’s interrogation rather than facing the wrath of a despot. It had been that way since his boyhood. While it was true that this had forged Jouslain into a high noble of Tytania, it was only natural that he felt weary at the thought of such a situation persisting for another ten or twenty years.

It might be time for a change. If Ariabert’s easy surrender of military authority was to bring about a fluctuation in the ''status quo'', then Jouslain decided he would ride that wave. Jouslain reached his conclusion. While the manifestation of his resolve might have seemed sudden, he, too, had been longing for a catalyst.

On the 20<sup>th</sup> of March, Duke Jouslain Tytania formally received his official appointment from Clanner Ajman and was set to succeed Ariabert as the Commander-in-Chief of the Bargash Expeditionary Force. The departure from Uraniborg was scheduled for the 27<sup>th</sup> of the same month. No one could have predicted with certainty what would unfold within that single week.

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