Thoughts about Max's future and Astoria

[LionkingCMSL]

A quick addendum: I do not consider the following a plot/story submission. It's just ruminations on canon events.

Those that really know me know that my mind is constantly working on things. :=3

That being said I will expand on what I posted on the main site.

From the main site:
This has nothing to do with the current story arc, but as I was doing a radio install a thought about Astoria and Max occurred.
Being Astoria recognizes titles of nobility, then after Max's father dies he becomes a lord and therefore he is way off limits to Astorian intrigue. They may rant and throw a hissy fit, but a lord is a lord.

Here is were it becomes really interesting. I assume Lord Gerrig would be informed of Max's change of status. Max becomes a peer to Gerrig, and this would have to be made known to the Astorian court if Max ever returns.
Now I doubt Max would flaunt his new status, but he knows what kind of bargaining chip that title can be.

Lady Gadel would be surprised at Max's elevation to nobility with no warning. To her he is a commoner and not of noble birth. She would report this to Lady Rashanna as part of her daily report. Of course this puts her on a collision course with her preconceived notions of Great Britain and the real world. She would have to treat Max as a peer, something, I think, she would be loathe to do.

This leaves the rest of the RCSI. I doubt very few would know of Max's lordship. Ruby already knows because of her overhearing the conversation between Max and Moriane about Max's need to do business with the House of Lords and the family title. The queen even makes mention that Max's father was in the House of Lords.

So, the future could get very interesting for Max. :=3

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Interesting. Yes, that's a very interesting feature of the backstory.

I shall bear it in mind while reading and thinking about what's going on. ;-]

[joshofspam]

Heh, that will be something to see.

I'd wonder how long it would take for the other shoe to drop if that was revealed to Gadel?

[LionkingCMSL]

Another thought I had, along those lines is:

Assuming Ruby and Max do get married, I do believe that makes her a Lady; though I'm not sure on the rules of nobility.

If she does become Lady Rubella McConner, then all of Lord Cedric's scheming comes to naught. He can't touch a noble without the weight of the Astorian court come crashing down on his thick skull.

Again, just idle musings on canon events and what may happen as Darc and Matt have it outlined.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

If she does become Lady Rubella McConner, then all of Lord Cedric's scheming comes to naught. He can't touch a noble without the weight of the Astorian court come crashing down on his thick skull.

Of course, given what we know of Ruby, I'm pretty sure she'd want to deal to him herself, and would be rather peeved to find that she didn't have to.


... which leads into figuring out that Lords and Ladies have rather different avenues of attack available, and figuring out how to use those effectively, etc...

[Petrov]

Greetings.

A somewhat different perspective.  While Max would gain the title on his father's death, he is already technically part of a noble house.  I am certain that Lady Gadel is not the matriarch of her family, yet she is still called 'Lady'.  Her merely learning that Max is the heir to his family's title would be enough to cause quite a stir for her and for Rashanna.

But I am more intrigued by later developments.  With Marilyn Pyrenees promising to send Joshua's journals to Ruby, this opens up an entire new line of speculation.  Given that Joshua loved to write, given that Joshua "wanted to do this" (fight against Cedric) for a long time, and given how well he knew Cedric's estate, those journals might contain blueprints and detailed instructions on how to attack Cedric's manor.  With the renewed focus on rescuing captured / enslaved agents, combined with how much experience Cedric had with the agency bands and weapons, could it be that an attack might be forthcoming?  While it would -never- be -formally- sanctioned by the queen, I can certainly imagine agents volunteering (and getting significant unofficial royal support) for such a mission, with Max and Ruby first in line.

A random thought.

[Tuyu]

I think this line of reasoning puts a little too much value on the McConner title. They're lesser nobility, with their seat on the "ruling council" taken away (recently, in the continuity of the comic). Plans might proceed differently, perhaps a bit more circumspectly, but they wouldn't be stopped.

W/regards to Gadel, at most I think it'd be a surprise, but not much more. It would probably upset her more than anything else, but it might help shift her view of how the British view their nobility.  In circumstances where Max's title was known to those present, she might have to treat him not as a peasant (I'd hesitate to say "peer"), but otherwise I'd expect her attitude to be "If he wants to pretend to be a commoner I will oblige him."

W/regards to Cedric and his estate, it's been long enough that only notes about the structure and about Cedric himself would be useful. Given Astorian lifespans, virtually everyone else Joshua knew about would be gone, and undoubtedly the entire security arrangement would have changed following the escape.

[Petrov]

W/regards to Cedric and his estate, it's been long enough that only notes about the structure and about Cedric himself would be useful. Given Astorian lifespans, virtually everyone else Joshua knew about would be gone, and undoubtedly the entire security arrangement would have changed following the escape.

Excellent point!  That was 25 years ago, and the personnel have certainly changed, as well as the security arrangements.  Plus, I doubt if CB would ever let Hunter or Gypsy anywhere near Astoria again under almost any circumstances.

W/regards to Gadel, at most I think it'd be a surprise, but not much more. It would probably upset her more than anything else, but it might help shift her view of how the British view their nobility.  In circumstances where Max's title was known to those present, she might have to treat him not as a peasant (I'd hesitate to say "peer"), but otherwise I'd expect her attitude to be "If he wants to pretend to be a commoner I will oblige him."

I do not expect that Gadel will ever respect Max, although I do think that her attitude would change - more to one of disgust than anything else at Max not acting 'appropriately to his station'.  But she would be surprised enough to report this to Rashanna.  Without having the experience of modern British life and how little titles mean, Rashanna might become even more interested in / intrigued by Max, and probably press Gadel to stay close and learn even more about him.  Something that neither Gadel nor Max (or Ruby for that matter) will like very much.  I find it extremely amusing that Max and Gadel are being forced to tolerate each other by Moraine and Rashanna, especially given Max's orders and Rashanna's dangerous interest in the agency's bands and swords.

Petrov.