Hey all, thought I’d give an update again. I’ve been making progress on the latest chapter, but it’s been slow. My fall has been much busier than I thought and there’s a number of major roadblocks to devoting as much of my attention to Shattered Eagle as I did in the spring and summer. However, I am breaking through them as best I can. I still have a great deal of passion for the IF and am excited for you all to read what I’m working on as soon as I can put it to page.
I am still actively refining what I’ve already written and working on more and recharging from my thousands of words per day previous speed, but I felt I should let you all know that the wait will be longer than I hoped for. That’s just life, unfortunately.
Will we able to arrange marriages with Augusta? I’d imagine this would be a major political move that would have a huge effect in the plot, as well as the prefect’s relationship with Julia and Augusta. This could also potentially weaken the prefect’s grip on Augusta if her betrothed is competent.
The prefect is still the guardian of Augusta and a close confidante to Julia. It’s easy to see how the prefect can determine which one Augusta will marry. Even in patriarchal societies, the mother or a female figure can still decide which one to betrothe a child.
You may think so, but Julia is quite literally talk to the hand on this issue.
exhibit A
The Empress thinks on it for barely a second. "Done."
*choice
*if augusta_parentage = true
#"What?" I exclaim in disbelief. How dare Julia agree to marry off our daughter without even consulting me first!
*goto whatex
//...
*else
#"What?" I exclaim in disbelief. Did Julia seriously agree to this betrothal without even consulting me?
*goto whatnorm
//...
*label whatnorm
*set imperial_favor -5
"Hold your tongue, $!{name}." Julia hisses. "This is my decision to make, not yours. If the cost of my Empire's stability is a mere marriage pact, it is a price I pay gladly. Leta, you have my consent in the matter."
*goto accept_leave_leta
Don’t overstep your authority Prefect, or you may find it quickly curtailed further. /s
If Augusta is fine with it, then the prefect can do little with it. But I doubt it’s a final deal. Augusta could very well not want this marriage and the prefect can do some politicking to change her betrothed. One of my saves is the prefect slowly usurping power and controlling Augusta. Overstepping the prefect’s authority is literally the point.
You really should’ve played the update instead of just shooting blindly.
But what about Augusta
#"I do not think Augusta will approve." I warn Julia. Certainly she must consider the feelings of her own daughter, right?
*goto aug_appr
//...
*label aug_appr
"Her approval is not required." Julia looks at you incredulously. "I am her mother, the materfamilias, I alone can dispose of my children's affairs as I see fit. My daughter will do as she is bid."
*line_break
*if aug_argue = true
After the recent acrimony between mother and daughter, however, you find yourself resigned to the bleak truth that will emerge from such a marriage pact: Augusta will come to hate her mother.
*else
Even so, you know Augusta will not like this match, nor quite honestly any marriage pact at this age and with her temperament. Perhaps it something you can help her accept, however.
The only politicking the prefect is apparently allowed in this scenario is to help Augusta come to terms with her new future.
Yes. She can already be betrothed in chapters already released, depending on circumstance. Overall, there are multiple outcomes as to whether Augusta will end the story betrothed, or not, and to whom if so. Not to mention that a betrothal is far more easily broken than a marriage…
Whether the Empire falls or not in this story is up to the MC’s actions, but I can’t promise much of any happily ever afters.
That advice is not applicable when in the original comment, I speculated how the prefect choosing Augusta’s betrothed would have an impact. Fortunately, it seems the prefect will be able to do so.
However, i wasn’t responding to your original comment but to the follow-up where you’ve asked specifically about the betrothal included in the current update. To my understanding this is what we were discussing.
Even in here I’m postulating a possible future event. The discussion has always been about what the prefect can do in the future with Augusta’s betrothal. And clearly I’m not shooting blindly as what I am speculating is sensible and could actually happen, which is later confirmed by the author.
My canon run is Rael Valerius, old veteran turned advisor to the Queen. Lover of the Queen and father to Augusta, he was once ever the ruthless soldier turned soft from the war.
From actively planning the death of the royals to helping the last member Scilla’s blood escape.
Now in modern day torn between love for his Queen and country, and the citizenry that will suffer under her tyranny (a tyranny he’s spent the better part of two decades enabling).
That’s what this tangent was about, at least from my standpoint. The post you are quoting is from the middle of that discussion.
Hopefully this can be now put to rest, especially since the author confirmed that you’ll get other opportunities to arrange the marriage that are more to your liking.
Yes, we have established this like, three posts back. I was talking strictly in the context of what is currently available in the game (single betrothal) and how much input the Prefect can have currently on it (none). You were speculating about future possibilities while ignoring what the game already tells you about this subject, in favor of what you’d like.
