The only reward worthy of Solam's achievements was land.
The problem was that, in the history of the Kingdom of Silverymoon, there had never been a precedent for granting territory to another king. If they truly intended to do so, it would involve numerous legal issues, questions of allegiance, and the matter of how the kingdom was to regard Solam's status.
First of all, Solam was a king—there was no question about that. So what sort of relationship would he have with the Queen of the Kingdom of Silverymoon? If Solam were granted land, then he would undoubtedly become the Queen's vassal. By that logic, would the Cloud Giants also become vassals of the Kingdom of Silverymoon?
While the vassal of my vassal was not my vassal, the general hierarchy would still be there. Would the Cloud Giants accept that?
Based on the limited understanding everyone present had of the Cloud Giants, the odds were extremely low—practically nonexistent. Though in their hearts, they still hoped the Cloud Giants would accept. After all, they were Cloud Giants. Even nominal subordination would bring immense prestige to the Kingdom of Silverymoon.
But reality and hope were always two different things.
Yet if Solam were given a fief without becoming part of the Kingdom of Silverymoon's nobility, the problem would be even greater. The nature of the territory would change—it would mean the Kingdom of Silverymoon had carved away its own land. For any government, ceding its own territory was an extraordinarily serious matter. At the very least, Silverymoon's current leadership did not have the courage to do such a thing.
Thus, the question of how to repay Solam gave the kingdom's upper ranks a tremendous headache.
It was not as if there were no solution that satisfied everyone: a marriage alliance. Have Solam