“I know that,” the Emperor snapped. A loud sigh. “But I cannot go. I wouldn’t have an Empire to return to.”
Alice froze, eyes wide. She had stumbled onto an incredibly serious discussion. Given her position, nothing stopped her from entering this chamber, but she was certain that neither her grandfather nor Leopold wanted her to hear this discussion.
She coughed, then stepped into the chamber proper. “Grandpa, I’ve completed the paperwork relating to trade law changes for our new duchies. Plus some other things.”
Everybody in the room stared at her, which was quite a few people.
Although the grand hall was the official throne room, this chamber was the true throne room. A much smaller, but far more expensive, throne sat at one end. It was made of gold and all manner of strange metals that caught the light in fascinating ways. Right now, it was empty.
Supposedly, this throne room was where the Watcher Omria had crowned emperors, in the days when she still walked Doumahr.
“Ah, Alice, I didn’t hear you enter,” the Emperor said with a smile. “Leopold, if you would.”
A handful of knights stood in the wings of the room. They turned away from Alice first, once they recognized her. Emperor Gorthal stood in the center of the room, wearing a huge furred cape over his entire body that hid his advancing age. An elegantly dressed cat beastkin stood next to him. One of the Emperor’s mistresses, no doubt.
Or perhaps she was just a lover. Alice didn’t know if a man could have a mistress if he was a widower.
The other four people in the room were far more familiar to Alice. Leopold smiled at her. His silvered hair and sideburns belied his age, but he still cut an imposing figure in his Bastion uniform. He stepped forward and took the paperwork from Alice.
“I think we can assume you heard our discussion,” Leopold said drily, his eyes twinkling.
Alice looked away with a grimace.
The Emperor chuckled. “It’s no trouble, Alice. Join us. The knights wouldn’t have let you in if you weren’t supposed to be here.”
Despite his words, he gave a uniformed woman standing by the throne a subtle signal. Something told Alice that she wasn’t supposed to have been let in.
That uniformed woman was named Maylis, and she was a Bastion like Leopold and Nathan. She was responsible for the defense of the Imperial capital, Aleich. Her darker skin indicated that she wasn’t native to the region, and she towered over almost everybody else in the room. Her uniform hugged her lean, muscled figure.
Maylis was one of the most powerful Bastions in the Empire. She commanded a trigem Champion and was responsible for defending one of the oldest active portals on Doumahr. Her relative youth only made her achievements more apparent.
Much like Nathan, Alice mused. She wondered what Maylis would make of him. Maylis was a taciturn Bastion, who rarely spoke other than to give orders. But she appeared to be of a similar age to Nathan.
The other two people present were Champions. Both duogems. One was Mae, Leopold’s closest and most trusted Champion and lover. The other was one of Maylis’s Champions, a stern-looking man with a square jaw and a mage’s staff.
“Are things really that bad?” Alice blurted out, eyes wide.
The Emperor sighed. He leaned on a long ebony cane, which was capped with rune-encrusted black steel. Slowly, he ambled over to the throne. His beastkin mistress walked with him, her hands hovering by his side.
Eventually, he settled into his throne and faced Alice.
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. But a wise ruler does not stoke a fire needlessly,” he said. “The Diet has yet to find a rhythm now that there are so many new nobles from our new territories. Many nobles need time to realize that their fears of losing their titles, power, and money to a horde of foreigners taking over the Empire is simple fear-mongering by opportunists.”
“Which is a long way of saying: yes, it is that bad,” Leopold said flatly.
The Emperor glared at him, while Maylis nodded.
“Do you need me to help, Grandpa?” Alice asked.
He smiled at her. “I will always welcome your help, my dear Alice. It’s been a delight to see you almost every day. And especially in your mother’s dresses. They suit you so well.”
That hadn’t been why Alice was wearing them, although she had been pillaging her mother’s closets. Alice didn’t own many dresses, and especially not many that screamed “I’m an Imperial princess.”
But the sheer pride and joy in her grandfather’s eyes stopped her from saying anything. She smiled back.
Privately, she wondered why there was a hint of sadness in the Emperor’s eyes.
“The simplest way is for Her Imperial Highness to visit the Spires in your place, but…” Leopold trailed off.
“No,” the Emperor thundered. “You and I both know the sort of mockery they will subject any visitor to. Even if the Aurelian Council is genuine about our involvement, the dark elves won’t change overnight. They despise us.”
“Didn’t they help us take the Federation?” Alice mentioned, although she privately agreed. She had heard stories about the dark elves, and her interactions with the dark elf ambassador had been less than pleasant.
Silence fell.
“Truthfully, I don’t know what to make of that,” Leopold said.
“They wanted Torneus,” the Emperor said. “And they’ve been genuine about helping us reinforce the fortresses along the Houkeem Desert. I think you’re right that the cascade scared them.”
“Maybe. But from what I heard about Astra’s behavior, I think there’s something else,” Leopold said.
“You mean the part where she insulted literally everybody except Nathan, or something else?” Alice said drily. She winced when everybody looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, that part,” Leopold drawled. “Astra is a legend. Children’s books have been written about her. The fact she backed Nathan is…”
“To our benefit,” the Emperor said. “But I get your point.” He smiled. “Perhaps we should reach out to Bastion Nathan once he’s free? He has history with Torneus, and the dark elves respect him. Sureev certainly does. Surely, they won’t refuse us if we send him to the Spires to help with the trial?”
Alice blinked at the sudden shift.
Leopold agreed, and there were a few brief comments to close off the topic, while Alice’s mind whirred.
Hadn’t that been a little sudden? And obvious?
“I’ll see to this paperwork,” the Emperor said, waving a hand at the bundle that Alice brought. “I also need to look at the recent ceasefire proposal from Trafaumh. Alice, could you look at the outstanding proposals from the Diet relating to the Imperial Army?”
“Of course, Grandpa,” she said, hiding her frown.
He tried to stand up, then grunted.
“Gorthy,” his mistress gasped, grabbing his arm as she helped him to his feet.
Gorthy?
Alice refused to stare. Her grandmother had passed away when she was young. Since then, the Emperor had enjoyed the affections of a number of women that he kept as close servants.
The situation was a natural one for Alice. Nobles tended to keep mistresses, although her grandfather had supposedly maintained his fidelity to his wife until her passing. Both Leopold and Nathan had several women sharing their beds.
But the Emperor was her grandfather. She found it difficult to consider that women the same age as her mother slept with him. Sometimes the same age as her. Even if he was the most powerful man in the Empire, and potentially the world.
With careful steps, the Emperor walked out of the throne room. He leaned heavily on his cane and his mistress clung to his side, her face a picture of worry. Behind him, Maylis and the other knights followed.
“Has he always been so old?” Alice mumbled.
“I believe I told you something similar when you came to Gharrick Pass,” Leopold said from beside her.
She jumped and then glared at him. “I
thought you’d left with Grandpa?”
“Maylis and the knights can protect him.” Leopold gestured to a different exit. “Shall we go somewhere?”
They left the chamber, Alice following Leopold. Surprisingly, he led her to the grand hall. After a few gestures, the guards moved farther away. Mae and Alice’s bodyguard kept their distance.
“This doesn’t seem very private,” Alice said. She looked around, but saw nobody other than guards.
“Nowhere is private in the palace. Not even the throne room,” Leopold said. “But Maylis has a binding stone on the outskirts of the city and absolute control over the palace. Her wards are impenetrable as a result. I can’t do the same. This…” He gestured to the empty space around them. “This works better than you’d think. It’s hard for someone to hide in a large space, especially if you use magic to suppress our voices.”
Alice got his point and cast a simple spell. While Leopold was a Bastion, he wasn’t a sorcerer. She was.
“Good,” he said. Then smiled at her. “You’re doing well? I haven’t seen you since…”
“Since you nearly died,” Alice finished darkly. “I’m told you’re fighting fit, but are you really? I saw you, Uncle. You were…” She stopped, unable to finish the sentence. “You looked bad. I can’t believe Nathan came out of that battle nearly unharmed.”
Leopold frowned at her last statement. “For all intents and purposes, I am good to fight. I am a Bastion. My duty involves courting death, in order to protect the Empire.”
“That doesn’t reassure me, Uncle.”
“I’m being honest with you, Alice,” he said. He looked her in the eyes, then sighed. “I wished that this day would never come. That things would… work out. You could putter about under Hans and eventually become Archduchess in your own time.”
Hans was her other grandfather—Archduke Hans von Milgar, one of the Emperor’s staunchest allies and closest friends.
“This is about Nathan, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yes, but also no. It’s more about the things that have happened, and Nathan is in the middle of them.” Leopold stared up at the vaulted ceiling of the hall. Huge stained glass domes dotted it. “Astra isn’t the only person who noticed what happened when the Messenger attacked Gharrick Pass. Only the most important. I nearly died, and an inexperienced Bastion came out unharmed.”
“Then Nathan invaded the Federation, defeated another Bastion, and captured Torneus,” Alice said.
“It’s the stuff of legends,” Leopold said. “One doesn’t need to be terribly bright to notice it. He’s known far beyond our borders.”
So, that explained the sudden willingness to send him to the Spires. Nathan was her grandfather’s newest weapon in his political battle with the Nationalists.
A booming sound echoed throughout the hall. The armor and weapons of guards rattled as they looked to the source. The gargantuan double doors that led into the grand hall ground open, their mechanisms clacking as they swiftly reacted to a force pushing them open.
Two figures entered the hall. One was a dark elf Champion who showed off enough skin that Alice wondered if she instead put clothes on when she had sex. Two amethysts glittered from her collar, above her voluptuous, dark curves. The elf’s purple eyes focused on Alice immediately, and she fluttered her fingertips in a wave.
Alice waved back gently, then focused on the other figure. This one was far less welcoming to her.
A gigantic bear of a man thundered across the hall. He wore a multitude of furs over his Bastion uniform and heavy armor. Despite being a Bastion, and therefore in the sole service to the Emperor, he wore his family crest: a stylized helmet on a white shield and black background. His shaggy mane of black hair framed a gaunt face with steely eyes.
If one looked closer at those furs, they would quickly realize they were tails. Alice knew they were taken from beastkin.
This man was Tharban von Straub, the Crimson Warhound. Nathan’s father, technically. Nathan had been disowned by Tharban a couple of years ago. The woman with him was Nurevia, one of Tharban’s duogem Champions.
“Tyrim, you’re here,” Tharban called out, calling Leopold by his last name. “Where’s Gorthal?”
Leopold’s expression darkened. “His Majesty is busy with important affairs.”
“I can guess which affairs. That’s why I need to see him, you old bastard.” Tharban stopped short of Leopold and glared at him.
Both men were giants. They stood well over six feet tall, and Maylis was one of the few people in the Empire who ever towered over them. Tharban had the slight edge over Leopold here, but only because he was in full armor.
Alice found it amusing that Tharban was doing the male equivalent of wearing high heels so that he could appear taller.
“Like it or not, Tharban, the ceasefire is being agreed to,” Leopold said, a hint of a smirk floating on his face. “All that remains are the terms. I assume that’s why you’re here, instead of doing your job up north?”
“I’m doing my job by coming down here and convincing Gorthal to send us some of the Champions lazing around in his pet duchy,” Tharban snapped. A snarl formed on his face.
“Why don’t you ask your son yourself for some help?” Leopold suggested.
Tharban’s hands balled up into fists. Alice felt magic well up around the man. Instantly, Leopold reacted.
Nurevia’s amethysts flashed. Her hands darted for one of the dozen weapons sheathed on her scant clothing. Both Champions behind Alice reached for their weapons. The nearby guards panicked, yells erupting from them.
Then a thrum of power ran throughout the entire hall. Alice felt her knees buckle. Every guard collapsed to the ground.
The Bastions and Champions halted. They appeared untouched by whatever happened.
“I don’t think you should test Maylis,” Leopold said, fury filling his face.
“You can play your games, Leopold. But the glory of the Watcher Omria will not be denied.” Tharban slammed a fist against his breastplate.
Then the man spun and stormed out of the palace. Nurevia left with him.
Alice’s hand pressed against her chest, her fingers running along the golden lace trim. Her breathing slowed as she steadied herself. The chill of the black and white stone flooring seeped into her body as she kneeled.
“Princess Alice,” a hushed voice came from behind her, as her bodyguard rushed to her side.
He quickly checked her for any injuries, then shook his head at Leopold. A moment later, the bodyguard retreated.
Leopold helped Alice to her feet. He grimaced at her. “I am sorry about that. You are alright?”
No, Alice thought. She wanted someone else to be the one to check on her, and to protect her. While she still spoke with Nathan from time to time, his voice was a far cry from his physical presence.
“It’s fine, Uncle. I understand that this is what things have come to. I’ve made my decision to stand with Grandpa. Both of them.” Her eyes flashed.
The smile on Leopold’s face was a sad one. Somehow, it made Leopold look his age. Alice worried about how old so many of the powerful figures in her life seemed to be.
Leopold joked about his age, but for the first time, he looked it. His face looked weathered, and he moved very deliberately.
“You and Tharban have an old rivalry, don’t you?” she asked.
“Hmm, I’d say that it’s closer to a political rivalry,” Leopold said with a chuckle. “The rest is simple jealousy. We’re close in age—only a decade between us. But I’m an influential Bastion despite losing my noble lineage, and he’s gone nowhere.”
Alice stared at him. That was surprisingly forthright for Leopold.
Then something hit Alice. “A decade? How can that be? You’re not even sixty, and Nathan is over thirty.”
Leopold snorted. “Not everybody waits until they’re good and old to have children, Alice. The reason why Tharban is still a count despite being a Bastion is because he stumbl
ed on a technicality. He knocked up a countess while in the Academy, and they insisted that he take responsibility. Money talks, as do votes in the Diet, and Tharban became one of the few Bastions to retain his title. Not that he’s supposed to use the damn thing.”
Bastions were soldiers. Alice knew that Nathan had run his father’s county before he had been disowned, precisely because Tharban wasn’t supposed to be involved with political affairs.
“Is it really the right thing, to prevent Bastions to be involved in politics?” Alice asked aloud.
Leopold gave her an odd look, but he remained silent.
“You’re deeply involved in it,” Alice said. “As is Nathan. While Anna, Grandpa, and I have owned the political decisions of the war with the Federation, the reality is different. You and Nathan made all the moves. Pretending that he isn’t a noble because he doesn’t have ‘von’ in his name is cute, but it seems pointless.”
A slow nod.
“Perhaps,” Leopold said. “Many things are changing. Things that should have changed long ago, when the Empire first started facing problems.”
Suspecting that Leopold was about to go on a long tangent, Alice changed the subject. She had no interest in talking about ancient history. At least, not with Leopold. He’d lectured her dozens of times about the topic.
“I still can’t believe Nathan and that brute are related,” Alice remarked.
“Really? Because despite the physical differences, it’s more apparent than ever now.” Leopold smirked.
“How? Tharban’s an asshole and a monster. He’s started wearing beastkin tails around, simply because of Nathan.” Alice glowered at the exit from the palace.
“Maybe. But I’ve known Tharban for a long time. And think about it. The Empire is now split into two separate factions.” Leopold held up one hand. “We have Tharban, a boisterous monster who hates non-humans and wishes to conquer all the Empire’s enemies for Imperial glory.” Then he raised the other hand. “Opposite him is Nathan, his son, and a quiet but beloved strategist who adores non-humans and… finish the sentence for me?”
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