Chapter 10: A Request That Could Not Be Refused
Lucian Valemont did not act immediately after the inspection.
That restraint was deliberate.
Inspections, by their nature, created momentum. People who conducted them expected reactions—defensiveness, adjustment, explanation, or retaliation. Acting too quickly after such an event made intentions transparent.
Lucian preferred opacity.
He spent the remainder of the day doing nothing that could be interpreted as preparation. He did not summon servants. He did not send messages. He did not cultivate aggressively or request additional resources.
From the outside, it looked as though the inspection had passed without consequence.
Inside, however, Lucian was assembling something far more troublesome.
That night, Lucian sat at his desk with a blank sheet of parchment laid neatly before him. The room was quiet. Aria stood near the door, her presence unobtrusive.
"You intend to send it tonight," she said.
"Yes."
"They will read into the timing."
"That is unavoidable," Lucian replied. "But they would read into delay as well."
Aria nodded.
Lucian dipped his pen into ink and began writing.
He did not rush.
The wording mattered.
This was not a demand. Nor was it a plea.
It was a request made within the framework of authority—one that the Marquis himself had established.
When Lucian finished, he read the letter once more, expression unchanged.
Then he folded it carefully and sealed it with his mark.
"Have it delivered directly," he said. "No intermediaries."
"Yes, my lord."
The letter left his room before midnight.
---
The Marquis Valemont received it the following morning.
He did not open it immediately.
Instead, he set it aside and continued reviewing other documents, as though the letter were merely one among many. Only after finishing his routine did he break the seal.
The Marquis read slowly.
Not because the letter was long.
But because it was precise.
> To the Marquis Valemont,
I write this letter in accordance with the rights and responsibilities afforded to me as a recognized son of the Valemont household.
Recent inspections have confirmed my standing within the family and my capacity to manage personal affairs without misuse of family resources. In light of this, I formally request authorization to establish a personal squad under my name.
This unit shall be funded through my allotted resources and maintained independently of the Valemont family's standing forces. Its purpose will be limited to personal security and external tasks assigned directly to me.
I do not request family oversight, nor do I seek access to family personnel. The composition, training, and deployment of this squad will remain my sole responsibility.
This request does not alter existing succession arrangements, nor does it infringe upon the authority of the Marquis or the council.
I submit this request for your consideration.
—Lucian Valemont
The Marquis read the letter again.
Then a third time.
He did not frown.
He did not smile.
Instead, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
"A personal squad," he murmured.
The request was… clean.
Too clean.
Lucian was not asking for family guards.
He was not requesting elite retainers.
He was not demanding authority.
He was requesting separation.
That distinction mattered.
A personal squad funded independently did not weaken the family's forces.
But it created something new.
An entity that answered to Lucian alone.
The Marquis exhaled slowly.
Lucian was not attempting to borrow power.
He was attempting to build it.
The Marquis tapped the letter lightly against the desk.
"Interesting," he said.
He did not decide immediately.
Instead, he summoned an attendant.
"Send a copy to Cassius," he said. "No commentary."
"Yes, my lord."
---
Cassius Valemont read the letter less calmly.
Not because the request was outrageous.
But because it was inevitable in hindsight—and he had not predicted it.
Cassius sat at his desk, letter unfolded, eyes scanning the same lines again and again.
A personal squad.
Not a family unit.
Not shared resources.
Independent funding.
Independent command.
Cassius closed his eyes briefly.
"That's the angle you chose," he murmured.
This was not a power grab.
This was insulation.
By forming his own squad, Lucian would no longer rely on family guards. Surveillance would become more difficult. Pressure would become less effective.
More importantly—
Any future incidents involving Lucian could no longer be handled quietly under the excuse of "family affairs."
Cassius leaned back.
If Lucian gained approval, Cassius would lose a degree of control he had assumed was permanent.
Cassius folded the letter carefully.
The wording was flawless.
No threats.
No ambition.
No challenge.
And yet—
It forced a response.
Cassius stood and walked to the window.
Lucian was not moving aggressively.
He was creating structure.
Cassius disliked that far more than open conflict.
---
Back in his quarters, Lucian waited.
He did not pace.
He did not speculate aloud.
Aria noticed this.
"You are confident," she said.
"No," Lucian replied. "I am prepared."
"Do you expect approval?"
"Yes."
Aria raised an eyebrow slightly.
Lucian continued, "Denying it creates more problems than granting it."
"How so?"
Lucian leaned back in his chair.
"If he denies it," he said, "he signals distrust despite the inspection. That invites questions—from the council, from Cassius, from observers outside the family."
"And if he approves?"
"He maintains control over the narrative while shifting responsibility onto me."
Aria considered that.
"…They will watch your squad closely."
"Yes."
"That could be dangerous."
Lucian nodded. "That is the point."
Visibility without interference.
It was a calculated trade.
The system surfaced briefly.
[Major Narrative Action Initiated.]
[Potential Structural Shift Detected.]
[Story Points: +18,000]
Lucian dismissed it.
---
The Marquis convened a private council that afternoon.
Not the full council.
Only those necessary.
The letter lay on the table between them.
"Lucian Valemont requests authorization to form a personal squad," the Marquis said calmly. "Opinions?"
One elder frowned. "This is unprecedented."
Another shook his head. "Not entirely. Past heirs have done similar things."
"Those were legitimate sons," the first elder countered.
The Marquis raised a hand.
"He is recognized," he said. "That point is settled."
Silence followed.
Cassius watched quietly from his seat.
One elder spoke cautiously. "Granting this would allow him independent force."
"Yes," the Marquis replied.
"And denying it would imply mistrust after clearing him," another elder added.
Cassius noted that.
The Marquis folded his hands.
"He has not asked for our men," he said. "He has not asked for funding. He has not asked for authority beyond himself."
"That makes it harder to refuse," an elder admitted.
Cassius leaned forward slightly.
"Father," he said calmly, "if approved, this squad will reflect solely on Lucian. Any failure will be his."
The Marquis looked at him.
"Yes," he said. "And that is why it is acceptable."
The decision was made.
---
Lucian received the reply at dusk.
Aria accepted the document and handed it to him without comment.
Lucian opened it and read.
> Authorization is granted.
The formation of a personal squad under your name is approved, provided it remains independently funded and does not interfere with Valemont family operations.
All activities conducted by this unit will be recognized as your personal responsibility.
—Marquis Valemont
Lucian folded the letter.
"…As expected," he said.
Aria studied him. "You have what you wanted."
"Yes."
"And now?"
Lucian stood.
"Now," he said, "we begin selection."
The system surfaced again.
[Structural Authority Established.]
[New Narrative Asset: Personal Squad (Unformed).]
[Potential Branches Expanded.]
Lucian ignored the details.
He walked toward the window and looked out at the estate grounds.
From this moment onward, any action taken by his squad would not be a family matter.
It would be his.
That alone changed everything.