9 - Alaric Chaperones

                                        

                                              
In the current geopolitical trends of alliances and open exploration, Taroton had sent out five Expeditions under Queen Akiyama's name. Alaric's own parents, the Countess and Count Briggs, were in the dangerous North, while other Expeditions were exploring areas in the other cardinal directions. Marquis and Marchioness Ruma had recently completed their Expedition, an alliance made with Cador to Taroton's immediate western border. He'd heard the rumours every other informed noble had, that Queen Akiyama would be marrying one of King Kai of Cador's younger brothers, but since no announcement had been made yet, it wasn't confirmed. While the political sphere waiting on that, Viscountess and Viscount Ram were trying to broker the next alliance with Tashatia since they were just across the channel on the Eastern Continent. That alliance was less about settling conflict and more about cementing trade routes and exchanges. Duke Sikali was on an Expedition to the territories on the Eastern Continent's far shore; the Duchy of Pulu, the Kingdom of Pardue, and somewhere called Manur. And Duchess Hatsune was on a much longer Expedition to the Western part of the main continent; she was to establish if the Republic of Jechguk was a threat. 
Logically, it was easy to determine that these Expeditions all indicated that Taroton was a stable, if driven, nation. It took a certain amount of monetary risk to try and explore, and an even greater risk to personnel. Although Alaric hated to consider it, there was always a chance that an Expedition could be lost, that his parents could be lost. Queen Akiyama seemed to anticipate the possible impact losing any and all of these various Expeditions and had chosen her representatives well. Every noble sent had at least one adult Heir. There were five Sikali 'children' ranging from Debuted to sixteen year old Eniola, who was all but married to Gavin already. The Briggs County would be devastated by the loss of either of Alaric's parents, and yet he had been well trained to take over and had seven younger siblings besides. Duchess Hatsune had one blood Heir in Aoyama, and an adopted daughter in Banika, but she also had two grandchildren already too. The Viscounts Ram had five daughters, and although Alaric had met Lady Ban Ruma, he had heard about her sister's pregnancy and her brother-in-law's injury, thus negating the ability to meet them.
Given how eager Derbie wrote letters to and received letters from Lady Ban, Alaric was starting to adjust to the idea that Aoki Ruma and her husband were soon to be his in-laws. He didn't even have a negative feeling for Lady Ban either, despite his initial concern over her nerves given that she fainted. But Derbie was like Gavin, Edwina, and their father; when they fell in love it was from their head to their toes. Obsessive might have been a better term for it, except that for each of them it somehow seemed to improve their lives instead of condemning them. 
Though, to be fair, little Winnie hadn't announced her love for Lord Daro Korolenko, her mentor, so much as she had come to life in his presence in a way no other seemed to elicit. Alaric didn't begrudge his loved ones their obvious loves, in fact he wished they would succeed in their infatuations no matter how improbable, but sometimes he did envy them. As the eldest he had to aim for a partner who would make a worthy Countess, someone who could help him maintain and nurture both the Briggs Family as well as the Briggs Countship one day. That would require a first or second daughter of an equal or near equal standing, though a first daughter would require other Heirs for obvious reasons. Unless he was given a Letter of Intent from either adults Sikali daughters, or any of the other adult daughters of Countships, Alaric didn't have to worry just yet.
Especially since it looked like the first of the Briggs siblings to send a Letter of Intent would be Derbie Briggs. As much as Alaric had been spending time preparing his siblings for the upcoming Marriage Season, he'd also tried to prepare himself for it as well. Realistically there was only a few notable contenders. Firstly, he had to consider the fact that he was only attracted to women, and his status as Heir required that he continue the lineage or prepare a close blood relative to fulfill it. So, either one of the already adult second daughters of families at rank or higher than Count, or a first or second daughter from a lower ranked noble family. Again, only those already Debuted because he still needed time to officially Court his eventual Lady.