6 Breaking Fast #2
As the assembled staff officers discussed their successes and failures of the previous night, and the information gathered or missed, I slumped back in my chair, suddenly lacking an appetite.
This was how our diplomacy worked? Soldiers like me fought and died while the diplomatic service attended parties and slept around?
I wouldn’t have minded such antics in peacetime, but there was a war on.
Couldn’t the diplomats start acting seriously?
The prince stared straight at me. “Well, Captain? You’re the one with hands-on experience dating Imp nobles. How would you seduce the Imperial female?”
“Do demons even commit extramarital affairs?” Blandesky snarked.
I locked eyes with Boleslaw, who raised her eyebrows slightly in an expression I could not decipher.
Swallowing, I said, “Actually, they accept affairs as a matter of course. Demon lords view marriage as an exclusively political affair. Romance is confined to consorts, who have conjugal rights but no official authority in a demon lord’s household. ”
“And you know this from personal experience?” a noblewoman asked.
“Indeed. A—my Academy girlfriend considered me her consort while we dated. As graduation neared, my parents pressured me to find a more politically advantageous match. When I brought it up with A—with her, she laughed and asked why marriage would keep us apart if we were already consorts. I failed to make her understand that no Commonwealth woman would tolerate such an arrangement,” I explained.
I cursed my lips. I’d almost revealed that my girlfriend was the Emperor.
I’d have to get used to keeping secrets.
“Didn’t understand that no wife wants ‘the other woman’ hanging around?” Boleslaw asked.
“On the contrary. She was rather excited for it. Before she left, she was scoping out possible matches for me on the basis of who would perform well in a ménage à trois.”
Blandesky coughed on his tea in shock. Boleslaw’s eyebrows shot up, and one marshal said, “My word,” but Prince Aureli looked studiously unfazed.
“Well, I shall certainly take that into account when I seduce her. I must say, I’m happy to find her more attractive than the ordinary demon female. No scales, no bony skin deposits, no fangs to worry about.”
The memory of Astrid’s needle-sharp canines, long and white as a cat’s, which only showed when she smiled unguardedly, came to mind. I wondered if the prince enjoyed women who bite, and if he would enjoy the Emperor’s amorous nibbles. “She has fangs. Trust me. What the Emperor lacks is tusks.”
The prince disregarded my statement. “Thank you for your illuminating insight. Now, let’s discuss the day’s plans. I know many of you are new here. This team was assembled with unprecedented speed, and not everyone is fully briefed on the Commonwealth’s diplomatic goals during this summit.”
Boleslaw spoke up. “It’s technically not a summit. This is a party celebrating twelve years of the Emperor’s reign. However, we hope to negotiate a permanent end to hostilities during this unexpected lull in aggressive Imperial action.”
“Thank you, Colonel,” the prince said. “Regardless, we do have a plan, which is why I accepted this invitation on the Queen’s behalf and brought all of you as my retinue.
To keep it short and sweet, the Commonwealth’s goals are to end the war and restore territories to the status quo ante bellum. No reparations, no concessions.”
The prince’s statement was met with a thundering silence. The only sound was the scratching of my fork and knife on my plate as I ate.
Eventually, one of the other diplomats, a civilian judging by the lack of shoulder boards and cuff lace, spoke up.
“After ten years of war, we’ll get nothing?
The Empire attacked us. They bear the responsibility for a decade of destruction.
We intend to let them off without any recompense?
The hundreds of millions of lives lost will be for naught? ”
I almost snorted, but a sky marshal who I did not know spoke up.
“If we keep fighting, all those lives lost will be for less than naught. We are losing this war. Badly. A negotiated settlement is the only way we emerge from this war intact. If we don’t turn this around soon, we will be forced to evacuate the Queen and Parliament to the Fallspace colonies, and if the Empire pursues us into Fallspace, there won’t be much we can do to stop them. ”
Another deafening silence followed the sky marshal’s statement. While I agreed with the sky marshal’s predictions, I personally thought it unwise to say. We were in Imperial territory. Who knew who was listening?
Then again, maybe there were bug stompers active. Maybe Royal Security had swept the suite for listening devices and found none. Maybe everyone else here knew but me.
Either way, a return to the status quo ante bellum sounded like a good result to me.
An end to war. Restored borders. My family estates returned, hopefully with my family, assuming they still lived.
Most importantly, peace now would mean I’d live to see it.
Death waited back at the front, had clawed at me for the last ten years.
Peace guaranteed I would at least survive this war. I could think of worse things.
The prince spoke, again commanding attention. “We also wish to establish stronger trade relations between the Allies, the League, and the Empire. Mutually beneficial relations discourage future conflict. Anything you can do to advance these interests, do.
“With regards to this, we must consider today’s planned activities. Jasper?”
The prince’s valet stepped forwards, holding an unrolled datascroll.
“First, we have a ceremonial hoversteed race in the morning. Delegation members may choose to race for the glory of their nation, or may spectate and enjoy a session of friendly gambling, followed by a light luncheon. The afternoon shall be dominated by tea sessions, where the Emperor shall meet with various dignitaries for a private audience. Dinner shall be served at seven, followed by the Imperial Opera performing one of the Emperor’s favorite shows, The Fall of Celestro.
The evening shall conclude with post-opera drinks and fireside conversation, with the Emperor inviting those individuals for private interviews who were unable to attend afternoon tea. ”
The prince said, “There’s not much we can do about the tea or opera, but the race will give us plenty of opportunities for covert negotiations.
I have been invited to the Emperor’s box for the race.
Hopefully, I can warm her up to our peace proposal.
Most of you will be in the spectating crowd, working over our allies, but we do want some representatives in the race. Who here can ride a hoversteed?”
A half-dozen hands went up around the table: four officers and two civilian diplomats. I tentatively added my hand to the group, although I figured I would join the prince’s retinue in the Emperor’s box. The thought of seeing her closely again set my heart fluttering rapidly against my ribs.
“You all better go ready your steeds,” the prince said, considering the selected individuals.
“While you’re in the garage and on the track, try to chat up your opposite numbers.
Marshal Gediminas, Marshal Vytautas, General Ostrogski, please speak with the Urgan party.
Lords Algirdas and Jogaila, please interface with the Federation nobles.
General Hedwig, you talk to the League representatives.
We need to make certain they’re all on board with the Allied peace objectives.
The Empire will try to divide us and negotiate separate peace treaties.
We need to hold a united front if we hope to emerge from this war intact. ”
The prince stood, holding his napkin out to be taken by a footman.
I stood along with the rest of the notables.
“The race begins in two hours’ time. I suggest those who will be riding get to your hoversteeds and get dressed.
The rest of you, disperse and engage any Allies you find.
Confirm their dedication to our plan. We shall meet the riding party for lunch.
In the meantime, should anyone need me, I will be in the gaming parlor. ”
I hunched over my plate and hurriedly bolted the last of my breakfast, then straightened, uncertain of where I should go until Boleslaw beckoned me over. “Captain Boylan, will you join the prince and I in His Highness’s parlor?”
I trotted after Boleslaw into the prince’s suite, Wiktor following at my elbow.
It was a far cry from my tiny room, which was scarcely large enough for a single bed, closet, shower, toilet, and writing desk.
Prince Aureli was ensconced in a massive multi-room suite.
His parlor alone was opulent, the floor covered in intricately patterned rugs, the walls painted with green forest scenes, and the vaulted ceiling boasted a rich blue with silver crystal stars embedded.
I sank into one of the large, plush chairs, almost criminally soft after years of logs, rocks, and canvas camp chairs.
Wiktor automatically took up a position behind my chair to my left side, ready to assist me in whatever I needed.
Through the open door to the bathroom, I saw a gilt-fitted marble tub larger than my entire quarters before the prince sat before me.
“So, Captain Boylan, what advice do you have for seducing your old squeeze?”
Don’t, my brain supplied, followed quickly by, leave her to me, but I took a moment to consider. This was why I was here, was it not? To help Prince Aureli charm the Emperor? Regardless of my feelings for her, she was a foreign head of state.
That said, I wished Aureli would speak of her in a more respectful tone.
“Come, man, what does she like?” Boleslaw prompted.
“She loves musical performances. Operas, concerts, even musicals…”