While it hadn't been too long since you'd seen your Father-In Law, it has been years since you'd met with Garibaldi Talonuelli outside of the occasional gala or meeting of state. And you don't think the three of you had been present together in an unofficial capacity since shortly after the Summit of Griffonstone that had united the Empire. You had of course accepted the invitation. While you naturally suspected that there was more to this meeting than a simple social outing, you weren't about to decline an opportunity to get away from the palace for a few days. Besides, it had been a while since you'd gone hunting.
You meet up with the elder States-Griffs at a secluded hunting lodge deep within the forested hinterlands of what used to be Aquileia, your security detail trimmed substantially to a bare talonfull of Knights who you politely instruct to remain as scarce as possible. Federico greets you warmly with a back-slap and a smile, Garibaldi giving a more subdued nod and a polite bow, despite your protests. None of you were here as nobility or rulers, but as friends.
True to their word, your bodyguards remain in the background for the duration of your trip, carefully and silently observing from afar. Despite their armor and imposing stature, they somehow manage to avoid spooking the game you hunt. Despite the age of you and your companions, you have little difficulty maneuvering through the forest, either stalking through the underbrush or flying above the tree line to line up a shot. With arrow and javelin you manage to bring back several rabbits, ducks and geese, but those pale in comparison to the Manticore the three of you manage to track and bring down on the fifth day of your excursion.
Someway, somehow, the three of you (with some assistance from your bodyguards, who probably wish they'd actually kept their distance), manage to drag the body of the thing back to the lodge. As the three of you gather around the fireplace with a few glasses of wine in celebration and contemplate whether you should make an attempt to taxidermy your latest catch, Federico clears his throat and gives you a look.
"I reckon you've been wondering what this little get-together is really about."
You raise an eye ridge, taking a sip from your glass as you consider your response.
"I'd assumed there was a reason beyond a desire to get away from our respective duties for awhile...though I couldn't hazard a guess as to what that reason was."
The aged former Feathersian nods, sighing.
"Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed this..but Gerry and I didn't call you out here just for the sake of a good time, sad to say."
Both you and Garibaldi snort at his choice of nickname for his fellow noble, but the Grand Duke of Wingbardy doesn't do much more than take another pull from his glass as the Duke of Urbirdo continues to speak.
"I think you know me well enough at this point to know that I don't like to beat around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point. The thing is, there are some things we didn't feel comfortable talking about in our own homes, let alone the Imperial Palace. Too many prying ears about, no offense."
You shrug. You can understand that. In the business of rulership paranoia was just another word for sensible. Though you do wonder what matter would be so sensitive as to require such isolation for the three of you to discuss. Your inner thoughts must show on your face, as your Father-In-Law jumps right into the matter at hand, gesturing to himself and Garibaldi.
"There ain't no bones about it, we're old. Old enough to start worrying about what happens once we finally pass."
You put your glass down and lean forward. Both of the elder Griffons huff in unison and wave off your look of concern, Garibaldi chipping in his two marks.
"Relax your Highness, we're not dying yet. But it would be irresponsible of us not to consider the possible consequences of our departure from the mortal realm. There are matters of great importance to consider...particularly the matter of the inheritance of our titles and holdings."
You blink. That is...true, but you're not sure why that would have anything to do with you. Federico finishes his glass and pours himself another, gesturing to Garibaldi.
"Well, more his than mine. I've already got a son set to inherit my humble position."
You suppress the urge to snort. Count of one of the most prosperous cities in the Empire, a "humble" position...still, you suppose when weighed against Talonueli's holdings...The Grand Duke in question clears his throat, drawing your attention back to him.
"I asked Federico to arrange this meeting to discuss the matter of my title as Grand Duke being passed on...though to whom remains to be seen."
That elicits a questioning glance from you. Garibaldi sighs, placing his glass down as he steeples his talons.
"I cannot state with words how proud I am of my daughter. Genevieve is, without question, my greatest achievement in life."
He smiles, his eyes adopting a faraway look.
"I always suspected she'd go on to do great things...but even I could not have imagined her becoming the fine lady she is today. A scholar to rival...perhaps even one day surpass Archimedes himself..."
He shakes his head, waving his free talon dismissively.
"But I ramble...what's relevant to the matter at hand is that, accomplished as she is and as proud as I am for that, I've begun to doubt whether I should bequeath my title and holdings to her."
Had you been drinking still, you might have choked. Garibaldi had no other heirs. You splutter.
"Why?
Garibaldi swirls the wine in his glass as he raises an eyebrow at you.
"You have known and worked with my daughter for years. Do you truly think that she would be happy with the life and responsibilities of a Duchess?"
You take a moment to contemplate that. Genevieve, a lady who embodied the word scholar, who delighted in study and research and intellectual discussion, who preferred the company of books to people some days...being made to play the game of thrones and nobles. You fail to suppress a grimace, prompting a nod from the Grand Duke.
"My daughter lives to learn. She could never do that if I passed my title on to her."
You shift uncomfortably.
"Have you...discussed this with her?"
He sighs.
"I've tried to...she always changes the subject or shuts down the conversation before I can get to the heart of the issue. She's not comfortable with the topic...either of my death or the ramifications thereof. Honestly that only reinforces my thoughts on the matter. I believe she doesn't want to inherit my title, but tries not to think about it...or has resigned herself to it."
He runs a talon along the rim of his glass.
"I don't want to burden her with the weight of my position, with the responsibilities she does not wish to have...but of course, that raises the obvious question of who I am to bequeath my title and holdings to."
Your unease grows.
"Then who would your title fall to?"
The two elderly nobles give each other a look, then turn to you in unison. Federico puts down his glass.
"We've been discussing some ideas in regards to that. We could, theoretically, find a suitable member of the nobility to take up the title of Grand Duke...Gerry's had his eye on a Count Ciano for a while now."
You'd heard of the Griffon. An able administrator of his lands, such as they were, and one of Garibaldi's most influential vassals. You supposed it wasn't a terrible idea. Nobles had, on occasion, passed their titles and holdings onto one of their vassals as a reward for their service if they had no heir...or at least no heir that they deemed worthy. But those had all been baronies. To do so with an entire Grand Duchy, nearly a third of the Imperial Heartland...Federico nods at your unspoken concerns, your thoughts showing on your face.
"It is an unorthodox solution, to be certain, and one that could invite some administrative chaos as the change in power occurs, to say nothing of the grumbling from the other nobles that they weren't picked for the 'promotion'."
He snorts. His low opinion of many other members of the nobility was well known to you.
"Though it is not the only option available to us."
Garibaldi chimes in.
"There are other options of course. We could simply dissolve the Duchy."
You stare. Again, the dissolution of a vassalage into its component holdings was not unheard of, though it had happened only twice in recorded history, both times as a punishment by a king or emperor of a noble family that had been deemed corrupt or untrustworthy. You try to regain your composure, shifting in your seat.
"That's...a tad extreme isn't it?"
Federico shrugs.
"Not necessarily. It could simplify the bureaucracy if we cut out the middle-griff and let the the barons and counts go straight to you with their taxes and concerns. Might even let you squeeze some extra income out of them."
Garibaldi snorts, looking a bit miffed at being referred to as "middle-griff".
"Or it could throw much of the Imperial Administration into chaos. As open to the possibility of a dissolution as I am, my position does exist for a reason beyond the need for a noble hierarchy."
Federico raises a talon defensively, an apologetic expression on his face.
"I meant no offense my friend. Simply using a turn of phrase."
Talonueli rolls his eyes but lets the matter drop, turning to you.
"There is of course a final option. As the Emperor, under the ancient agreements the Empire was founded upon, you could simply claim the title for yourself."
You blink.
"What would that mean, practically speaking?"
The Grand Duke shrugs.
"In terms of administration, I imagine it would be quite similar to dissolving the Duchy: a lot of Counts and Barons now coming to you directly with their taxes and issues...perhaps a bit less chaos and disruption, on account of the actual infrastructure still existing but..."
Federico jumps in.
"But it's likely to elicit a negative reaction from the nobility at large. Even if Gerry hands the title over willingly, they're not likely to take to the idea of you consolidating power in such a way. Even if they love you, they're not going to like setting that precedent."
You rub your temples, groaning. Your Father-In-Law presses on.
"Of course, you might be able to side-step the issue, to a degree...if perhaps you wished to take the title and gift it to someone else...say, perhaps, one of your children?"
You stare. Federico isn't joking, despite the twinkle in his eye and the sly smile on his beak. You glance at Garibaldi. He seems...remarkably unbothered by the suggestion. The Grand Duke shrugs.
"I long since came to terms with the idea of my title falling out of my family. Giving it to someone else doesn't bother me. At this point it's just a question of who will receive it, if at all."
You mull that over, staring into the flames of the fireplace. Gifting the Duchy would likely carry many of the downsides of taking it for yourself, though it would have the added bonus of giving one of your children some experience in the art of rulership. Federico downs his glass, walking over as he pats your shoulder.
"Neither of us expect you to give us an answer right this minute. Honestly, you don't need to give us an answer at all. But we wanted to give you the chance to offer up your input."
He smirks as he reaches for another bottle of wine.
"It's your Empire after all."
Garibaldi Talonueli has revealed his intention to not pass his title of Grand Duke to his daughter, and seeks your input on what to do. What course of action do you recommend?
[ ] Another Noble: Just find another suitable noble who would make a good Grand Duke. This would cause the least amount of disruption, but will likely upset many of the other members of the nobility when they realize they've been passed over for the unexpected promotion.
[ ] Duchy Dissolution: You'll dissolve the Duchy. It'll cause some chaos and inconvenience in the short-term, but it's the only option that won't anger the nobility and risk causing you further problems down the line.
[ ] Claim the Title: You'll take the title for yourself. Unorthodox, to be sure, but it'll let you consolidate power and streamline the bureaucracy, maybe even squeeze some extra tax income out of the place. The other nobles may not like it but hey, what are they going to do?
[ ] Gift the Title: Well...your children could use some experience in the art of rulership. Gawain may be the first in line for the throne and already busy with his diplomatic posting besides, bbut you're sure one of your daughters would be able to make the most of the situation and put their skills and unique knowledge to use. Who knows, they might even learn something from the experience. Of course, there's the obvious question of who to give it to...
[ ] (Write-In)
