Chapter 772: Jocelynn’s Plan (Part One)
All eyes lay on Jocelynn as she faced the assembled court. Some in the hall, like High Priest Aubin, wore calm, impassive gazes as Jocelynn resumed her explanation. Matters of taxes and tithes were of some concern to the Church, but their greater concern was the demon attacks themselves. Everything else was a distraction from fighting the root of the evil that had lashed out at the western territories.
The lords were the most anxious, though each for their own reasons. Baron Otker looked on with obvious anticipation, hoping to hear how the Dunns would be brought to heel by this disaster, while Liam Dun narrowed his eyes as if he would be able to see a trap spun from the young lady’s words.
Yet no matter how people looked at her, Jocelynn kept her eyes on the only men who mattered. Owain. Bors. Loman. In the end, those three would determine whether her plans had a chance or not.
She no longer hoped that Bors Lothian would approve of Owain as an heir and bless their union. That ship, she realized, had sailed when the Marquis began introducing Loman to eligible young ladies as if he was a prize stallion. Fortunately, the demon attacks had given her an opportunity to forge a power block of her own, hidden within a plan to handle the economic fallout of the disaster.
"My Lords," Jocelynn said as she resumed her explanation. "The problems that we are facing cannot be resolved in an evening, but with careful management, their impacts can be mitigated to such an extent that the coming Holy War will not be delayed. To do so, we’ll break the problem into three parts, though I can only offer solutions to two of them," she said.
"First, the heavy losses suffered by the Dunn Barony will require significant investments to address," Jocelynn said, holding up a single finger. "Second, we must make preparations to feed and clothe a large army when soldiers begin to arrive from across the sea in the late spring and summer next year. Third, we must respond to the demon attacks now to protect our people and lands before winter’s arrival makes fighting back all but impossible."
"My lords, I am not a soldier and I cannot command them," she admitted sadly. "And so the third problem, I leave to Lord Owain to address directly. But for the first two which are challenges of economics and industry, Lord Owain and I have been able to prepare solutions," she said as she turned to face Liam Dunn.
"Four Guild Masters from Blackwell County have pledged to bring their fortunes to Lothian March and swear fealty to the Lothian throne," she explained. "The terms of their agreement have stalled on the matter of where their lands will be located, but the assumption thus far, from all parties, has been that they will establish their villages and domains on the open frontier."
"You want to settle them in Dunn Barony instead?" Liam said, frowning at Jocelynn as he tried to understand how that would benefit anyone. "They can’t become my father’s vassals. We already have ten large, established villages, each surrounded by at least four or more hamlets. We cannot support four new knights without breaking the king’s laws."