24 Wheels Within Wheels #2
I gave a thoughtful hum as I chewed on a bite of eggy muffin. “That’s a hard question to answer, but indirectly, I suppose I was gathering information.”
“What sort of information?” Boleslaw asked, her face impassive.
“Information about the state of the Empire, past and present,” I replied. “Most of it about the Emperor and how she’s changed the Empire since her ascension to the throne.”
“And how did you come by this information?” the Duke of Lynwyzc asked through gritted teeth.
I considered how to best answer this question. “Well, the more modern state of affairs, I gleaned through a pair of conversations I had with my kidnappers last night…”
“Kidnapped? By whom?” Boleslaw asked.
“The second group was led by Count Zukov and Champion Ankhelina. As for the first group, I can’t be certain, but I think Prince Selnikov was in charge.”
“And what brought you to that conclusion?” Boleslaw asked.
I shrugged. “I couldn’t see his face through the spotlights, but I think I recognized his silhouette.”
The prince sat down himself. “This is all highly irregular.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said. “Invitations to an enemy’s anniversary party in the middle of a war? It makes no sense.”
“Don’t play coy with me,” Prince Aureli commanded.
Seriously, I replied, “I’m not being coy, Your Highness. This whole situation is as confusing to the Imperials as it is to us.”
At that moment, Wiktor appeared with a cup of tea and a saucer of chocolate biscuits. I took it from him with a word of thanks and sipped the hot, creamy tea. The prince remained silent, waiting for my explanation. Boleslaw sat, silently indicating I should continue.
“Nobody knows precisely what the Emperor’s intentions are for halting her advance and calling this jubilee. Her Empire is more divided than we thought. That’s not surprising, considering how small and fast the coup which led to Astrid’s ascension was.”
“And how exactly do you know about the Emperor’s coup?” Boleslaw asked.
“A supporter of the Emperor gave me a data drive with historical documents and recordings last night. I’ve spent most of the night reviewing them,” I said. “The chip’s in my personal computer. Feel free to grab it as soon as you like for your perusal, but I can summarize what I’ve learned.”
Prince Aureli and Boleslaw looked expectantly at me, both leaning forwards in their seats. At Aureli’s impatient gesture to get on with it, I continued.
“It seems Astrid was never supposed to become Emperor. Her father wedded her to the intended usurper of the throne, but she arranged for him to die during the coup, along with her father, leaving her free…” I faltered, remembering Astrid’s promise to return to me.
They were her last words to me before she left, flanked by those demon guards.
I shook my head, returning to the topic at hand.
“The death of Astrid’s husband and father removed the coup’s two undisputed heads.
The moment the dust settled to find the Emperor and both leading usurpers dead, the various factions turned on one another.
The subsequent slaughter was too chaotic to be anyone’s doing.
Astrid happened to be low-ranked enough that nobody paid her any attention, but by the time the blades were sheathed, she was the only survivor with any claim to the throne.
To stop a brewing civil war, she accepted the position and became the new Emperor.
“Judging by the reactions I observed at both kidnappings last night, there are currently two major factions in the Imperial court, one whose members support the Emperor outright, and one which thinks they’re working for the good of the Empire whether their actions follow the Emperor’s wishes or not.
Ankhelina and Count Zukov are part of the first group, and Selnikov leads the second.
I don’t know their final goals yet, but I intend to find out.
Most importantly, I think we may be able to play one group off against the other to gain an acceptable diplomatic solution. ”
Prince Aureli and Colonel Boleslaw sat in silence, considering my words.
Before they could ask me any additional questions, a royal footman approached us.
“Excuse me, Your Highness, but there is an Imperial guard at the door. She requests that you release Captain Boylan to spend the day at the Emperor’s side. ”
“Of course there is!” Prince Aureli flung himself back into his chair before waving his hand dismissively at me. “Fine. Go. Maybe you’ll gather some information we can use. It’s not like I could stop you anyways.”
I stood, dabbing my lips with my napkin. “Thank you, Your Highness. Colonel. I shall return with as much intelligence as I can gather. Hopefully, we’ll emerge from this jubilee in a better diplomatic position than we entered it.”
Following the footman to the hall, I met the Imperial guard. She was one of the guards who had accompanied Ankhelina during last night’s second interrogation session. “You’re here to take me to the Emperor?” The guard nodded. “Very well, lead on.”
We walked along before I spoke again. “So, how is the Emperor’s mood today?”
The guard pursed her lips. “She worries for you, though we assured her of your safety.”
I found myself grinning, despite myself. “Well, let’s assuage that concern, shall we? And if we’re lucky, we’ll ensure her stable rule for a hundred years more.”
“That would be desirable,” the guard replied, and we walked together towards the Emperor’s chambers.