21 Hunting For Clues #2
I expected the Emperor’s Champion to back me up. Instead, her face grew perfectly serious. “As the Emperor’s Consort, you have no official rank in the Imperial peerage, but in terms of raw influence, you outrank all but the most powerful grand dukes, and even that is questionable.”
I sat back on Tilly, stunned. “I can’t believe that. From where does my power come?”
Ankhelina scoffed. “You share the Emperor’s bed. You speak to her heart and to her loins. Should one of us displease you, you have but to whisper a word into our dread sovereign’s ear, and she will have our head on a spike come morning.”
I gaped, struggling to grasp the concept of this extralegal authority everyone thought I possessed. Judging from Boleslaw’s somber expression, she agreed with Ankhelina’s assessment. “But I’m just Astrid’s consort. She can dismiss me the moment she bores of me, or if I annoy her.”
“Were that likely, the Emperor would have taken you as a toy to play with. Declaring you Consort implies a more serious and permanent affair of the heart,” Ankhelina rumbled.
“You act as though I can convince Astrid of anything. She has her own mind, and an uncommonly stubborn will.”
Ankhelina nodded towards Tilly. “You convinced her to let you keep that abomination, despite her deeply held hatred of all AI. If you can convince her of that, little lies outside your persuasion.”
I was speechless. I couldn’t believe what they were saying. I was the second-most powerful noble in the Empire? It couldn’t be.
No, it very well could be. The Empire was an absolutist regime.
There was no written constitution, no code of laws dictating its governance.
It was ruled in whatever manner its leaders found convenient and effective.
I simply did not want it to be true, because if my position as Consort was more than a conjugal token, then my vision of straddling both worlds, earning Royal accolades while enjoying a relationship with the Emperor, became just another fantasy, another dream crushed by this war.
“May we speak alone for a moment?” Boleslaw asked, interrupting my silent reverie.
Pushing my crushing despair behind a bulkhead in my soul, I glanced at my chronometer. “Colonel, I am already late for my rendezvous with the Emperor, and I still have to get Ankhelina to her hoversteed.”
“This will only take a moment,” Boleslaw assured me.
“Then say what you have to say here. I don’t have time to go anywhere more private,” I said.
When Boleslaw hesitated, I sat up and asked, “Ankhelina, could you give us some space?” After the Emperor’s Champion stepped back, I squeezed Tilly’s flanks between my legs while holding down the brake, letting her know what I wanted.
Dutifully, Tilly revved her engine, her thrust plugs pounding in a high-pitched roar.
Leaning in, I spoke low under my breath, my face centimeters from Boleslaw’s.
“I didn’t fight for ten years across twenty-two worlds in a position lacking promotion to be called disloyal.
I did it because I believe the Royal Commonwealth deserves to win the war.
I’m not na?ve – I know someone has to shovel shit in war, and I’m willing to do it, but damn it all, I expect a little appreciation for my services.
” Furiously, I jabbed my finger at Boleslaw, forgetting our respective ranks.
“I know, I know,” Boleslaw said in a placating tone.
“We all know your loyalty is ironclad, even Lynwyzc. The prince is a little worked up right now. He’s used to being the center of diplomatic and amorous attention.
Taking that spot has thrown him off-balance.
He’s on edge. Everyone’s on edge. The last few days have been very stressful, with Von Potiorek’s death, Urgan intransigence, and clearly violent Imperial proclivities.
Give him time, and he’ll see your relationship with the Emperor for the boon it truly is. ”
“Does that mean I may return to the Commonwealth suite, or shall I find alternate accommodations this evening?” I asked.
“I think it would be wisest if you stayed with us tonight. Don’t want to feed any flames of doubt, misguided though they are,” Boleslaw replied with a reassuring pat on my leg.
I grunted. “Anything to prove my loyalty to the Commonwealth.”
As I spoke, I noticed a gleam in Boleslaw’s eye, a slight upward twitch about the corner of her mouth. Apparently, I had said the right thing, even though I wasn’t certain it was true anymore.
“Actually, there is something you could do which would demonstrate your devotion to Queen and country,” Boleslaw said, as casually conspiratorial as she could while also whisper-shouting over Tilly’s engine.
I turned my head, and the colonel spoke directly into my ear.
“We suspect Prince Selnikov of negotiating in bad faith but cannot be certain. You will be in the Emperor’s inner circle.
Perhaps you could use your position to find out. ”
“Ask the Emperor, are you mad?” I replied. “After last night’s assassination attempt, she’d have him killed, innocent or not, just to be sure.”
“Is that what happened last night?” Boleslaw asked.
“All we knew was the umbrella shield went down for half an hour, then the Emperor disappeared and her guards scoured the grounds and interrogated all us diplomats. We hadn’t even realized you were missing until later.
Prince Aureli worried you had caused some major diplomatic incident. ”
“It wasn’t me. A gang of assassins interrupted us in flagrante delicto. At least one demon and one human,” I explained. “That’s how I got shot. A trigger-happy guardsman mistook me for another assassin.”
“Humans and demons? Are you sure?” Boleslaw asked.
“Dead sure, and if you have me implicate any demons in the Emperor’s mind, I’m just as sure they will wind up dead.”
“Of course, we don’t want that,” Boleslaw assured me. “If Selnikov dies, his confederates will go to ground, and we’ll never learn who is working against us. Keep your ears open. Socialize. See what you can find out. That sort of thing.” She grinned. “Then report back to us.”
“I must warn you, I’m a terrible spy,” I said, uncomfortable with the task she was asking me to perform. Ten years at war had entrenched my social isolation.
Boleslaw patted my knee once more. “My dear lad, you underestimate yourself. You’ve already infiltrated the Imperial court at the highest level and seduced an enemy head of state. All you need to do is gather information, which I’m told is somewhat of a specialty of supply officers.”
I snorted and gave her an informal salute. “Sir, yes, sir.” Then I put my heels to Tilly’s flanks and we pushed forwards, away from Boleslaw’s offended expression.
I brought Tilly to a halt beside Ankhelina, rising slightly to look her in the eyes. She snorted, arms crossed over her chest. “You know I could hear every word, despite your pitiful attempts to deceive me?” she said.
I lifted a single eyebrow. “You care if I spy on Prince Selnikov for my people? I thought your concern was for the Emperor alone.”
“I don’t care,” she snapped. “But if your government’s machinations cause you harm, the Emperor will be displeased.”
We left the stables in search of the Emperor’s party, the massive demoness running alongside my mount with impressive speed as I considered Ankhelina’s remark.
My first impulse was that Astrid would never be so impulsive, but a memory from our Academy days flashed in my mind – Astrid holding another cadet against the wall by her throat after the poor student had made a disparaging remark against me.
Astrid, despite her attempts at Imperial aloofness, was a creature of emotion.
She was already on edge. Push her over, and who knew what she would do?
Maybe that was why Boleslaw had asked me to watch Prince Selnikov.
She outranked me by several levels – the colonel could have ordered me to spy on the demon lord if she wanted, but instead she’d suggested that doing so would improve Prince Aureli’s opinion towards me.
It was a clever move, but would it protect the Commonwealth delegates if Astrid decided they had got me killed?
We had not gone far before a voice broke into my thoughts, calling my name. I turned to see Princess Marie-Christina as she soared gracefully over to me on her sleek silver-and-pearl-cowled hoversteed. “Captain Boylan, it’s so good to see you, well, alive.”
“Indeed,” Archduke Darius said from behind me.
I spun in alarm, and Tilly backed up, forming a triangle between me, Princess Marie, and the archduke on his sleek black charger of a hoversteed as Ankhelina took up a position behind my left knee.
I calmed upon seeing a familiar face. Darius grinned with genuine affection as he pivoted his steed to face me, placing himself nearly next to Princess Marie as he said, “Word around here was you’d been killed defending the Emperor. ”
“Your Grace,” Marie said, her voice dropping a few dozen degrees as she addressed the Yezhidian archduke.
“Your Highness,” Darius replied, inclining head and shoulders in a respectful bow. His tone was still charming, but his eyes showed a level of apology. For what? Betraying the League, or something more personal?
“Sadly for some, the reports of my demise are fortunately premature,” I said, cutting the unspoken conversation short.
“Tilly was so worried for you, weren’t you, Tilly?” Marie said, addressing my steed directly. Tilly beeped affirmatively, which surprised me.
“When did you see Tilly?” I asked.
Marie sat back, sudden concern drawing her eyebrows down. “Last night, after you did not return following the attack. I went to make certain she was unharmed. We had a lovely night. She taught me how to apply and buff polish.”
“That was you?” Marie nodded as Tilly warbled happily. “I’m surprised she let you.”
“I’m surprised it didn’t tear your belly open and spread your entrails across the stable floor,” Ankhelina said with a huff.