Marriage into the Family
Katerina leaned lazily against Viktor, fiddling with the exquisite silver thread embroidery on his mage robes. Suddenly, she remembered something, looked up, and a glint of malice flashed in her eyes. "Oh, right, and that little bitch Louise! She's old Heinrich's own daughter, pure of blood."
"Although she's a woman, keeping her around is ultimately a threat. I don't want her to one day be dragged out by those resentful former officials, threatening our Sigmund throne and our rule. Tell me, what should we do with her? We can't just..."
She slowly raised her right hand, fingers together, and deftly swept it horizontally across her slender neck, making a clear and cold throat-slitting gesture.
However, her deep eyes did not reveal any ruthless decisiveness; instead, they flickered with hesitation, clearly indicating that deep down she believed this was not the best course of action.
After all, the old King's sudden death was shrouded in mystery, and undercurrents were already swirling inside and outside the palace, with various speculations and rumors quietly spreading like a poisonous vine.
At this sensitive time, if they were to openly poison Princess Louise, the Former King's only legitimate daughter and rightful heir, no matter how discreet their methods, they might still get themselves into trouble.
This is tantamount to handing the most powerful weapon to all forces with ulterior motives or those still loyal to their former masters. It could easily be portrayed as a brutal purge of the royal bloodline, thus arousing public outrage and possibly prompting the neutral forces that are still observing to unite, causing the already precarious situation to spiral out of control completely.
This risk is simply too great.
Upon hearing this, Viktor's lips curled into a composed smile, as if he had everything under control. He took a sip of his wine and said unhurriedly, "Killing someone of such a sensitive status would be the most foolish and disastrous course of action. We must make the most of her."
He set down his wine glass, gently lifted Katerina's chin with his fingers, looked into her eyes, and slowly stated his plan. "Isn't there a ready-made, perfect place for her right now? Lord Karl of Carnford has just achieved great military exploits and is in dire need of royal recognition and appeasement."
Katerina's eyes lit up slightly, as if she had caught something.
Viktor continued, "We bestowed Princess Louise with the highest royal honors upon this newly Northern Territory, which, on the surface, is an immense favor upon Karl von Schmidt."
"Bestowing the Former King's daughter, the kingdom's Princess, upon him would demonstrate the royal family's high regard for him, silence any gossip, and show the new king's magnanimity and benevolence, as well as his gratitude to those who have rendered meritorious service."
His voice carried a hint of cold calculation. "But in reality? Once Louise is married off to that remote, harsh, and war-torn Northern Territory fortress, it's tantamount to exiling her from the power center Prye City."
"Her influence in the Royal Capital will be completely wiped out. Without the support of her old ministers and far from the political vortex, she'll be like a fish out of water. What waves can she possibly stir up? The best outcome for her in this life is to be a good wife and mother in Carnford and live out her days on the frontier. Wouldn't that be a perfect solution for us?"
Upon hearing this, Katerina's face instantly lit up with a satisfied and even excited smile. She couldn't help but lean in and kiss Viktor: "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Viktor, you're a genius! This way, we've eliminated a major threat, made ourselves appear magnanimous, and even won over that capable border Lord —it's a triple win!"
She could almost picture Louise a miserable death in the harsh Northern Territory, and her spirits soared. She snuggled back into Viktor's arms and said sweetly, "That's it! Tomorrow I'll have Sigmund draft the decree—no, I'll personally oversee this 'grand' wedding! We must ensure our Princess Louise marries into the Northern Territory in style!"
Victor gently put his arm around Katerina's shoulder, his gaze tenderly fixed on her excited face. However, beneath that deliberately created warmth, a subtle, elusive meaning flashed quickly in his eyes, disappearing in an instant.
Marrying the Princess to that distant Carnford, a city just beginning to emerge from the flames of war, might, besides the aforementioned benefits, also... lay the groundwork for an even more subtle move in the future.
With this victory against Sauron army, Carnford's strategic value and Karl's own prestige will inevitably rise sharply, and the rise of this Northern Territory fortress is unstoppable.
It's like a wild horse that's just been tamed but still has its wild side; it needs a rein that's both soft and strong.
What could be more suitable as a link to exert influence, or even remotely control, in the future, than a princess with royal blood flowing through her veins and who is nominally the Princess of the territory?
Through the Princess, he could legitimately plant his own spies in Carnford through Princess attendants, subtly learn about Carnford's true movements, convey the will of the Royal Capital, and, at crucial moments, seek a kind of "legitimacy" or breakthrough for intervention by virtue of this kinship relationship.
This move is aimed at a longer-term strategic plan for the future.
Of course, he doesn't need to reveal this deeper intention to Katerina yet.