PrePub - Ascendance of a Bookworm

When you get an opportunity, take it and profit as much as you possibly can.

Rozemyne: Please support Charlotte. I promised to be her ally.

Leisegang: We would rather support Melchior for the position, under the condition that he will marry a Leisegang wife.

Rozemyne: That might work, though I should warn you that she would certainly be demoted in favor of a first wife from a greater duchy. Many duchies are eager to gain a close connection to me because of this whole divine avatar of Mestionora business, and it is well known how much I cherish my adoptive siblings.

Leisegang: A wife from a greater duchy? That would reopen many old wounds and risk Ehrenfest being bossed around once again, perhaps it could cause another war. Will Aub Ehrenfest not strive to prevent history from repeating?

Rozemyne: If he follows my advice, he will not want one archduke candidate from a greater duchy to marry into the duchy.

Leisegang: That is very relieving to hear.

Rozemyne: If Charlotte becomes aub, she could take up to three husbands. Wilfried and Melchior starting branch families could have three wives each. If we play our cards right, we could have up to nine archduke candidates from other duchies marry into Ehrenfest within the next decade.

Leisegang: Nine?

Rozemyne: Of course each archduke candidate would bring retainers with them, probably several archnobles each. Especially if they're from greater duchies. That should greatly increase the sizes and available mana of both our archducal family and our general noble population, so that Ehrenfest will permanently stay a top-ranking middle duchy. With them they will bring their own cultures, recipes and stories, plenty of material to turn into books.