Chapter 385: On this, he was determined.
Sigrid was not yet convinced and Roland could see that. "Do you like my father’s idea?"
"I am not against it." She answered, without looking up. "And I say this knowing that my family will stand against it. Nobles with armies are a threat to the crown. When they unite, they are just as powerful as we are." She popped a slice of berry in her mouth, grimacing at the extra sweetness. "We should consider centralizing power."
Roland let go of her hand and grabbed a hold of a spoon. "Sigrid, the idea is attractive and warrants great thought but empires are run on reality. The reality is that noble houses without private armies are houses without teeth. They become commoners with titles and lose their abilities to be pillars of defense for the empire."
Sigrid thought about the democratic world she had come from. Power was in the hands of the president and there was one army. Everyone else was a commoner, rich or connected.
She tilted her head, curious. "Do you want to know why I am in support of the idea more than why I am against it?"
Roland flipped his hand upwards for a second, "Color me intrigued."
"Before your father took the throne, there was a war and he was losing. In order to win, he went to your mother’s family and groveled at the feet of your grandfather for help." She dropped the fork and picked up a slice of pizza by hand. "Grovelled Roland. Maybe I should repeat it one more time. Grovelled.
He knelt and begged the De-Kensington’s to send their army to overwhelm his brothers and in return, he would marry your mother, make her queen and make the house of De-Kensington powerful.
But the act of being forced to kneel before another man and beg stayed with him. He hated your grandfather, your mother and inevitably you and your brothers that have De-Kensington blood."