The ambassador, already dressed in situation-appropriate mourning outfit, confirmed that to me:
"Your Majesty, the authorities of the Purple House have informed me that there was a bomb attack on the mourning ceremony being held in honor of the late Crown Prince Khayt royl Andor ton Reyekh. Both of Duke Takuro's sons died there, and the head of the Great House himself took heavy injuries. The doctors fought for his life a long time, but eventually declared that he was beyond saving..."
"I see. Well, that was the very result that could have been supposed based on Duke Takuro's last words," I said thoughtfully and demanded to be immediately put through the newly-crowned Head of the Purple House.
I had to make sure I congratulated my sister for having become head of a second Great House in such a short time.
The Black Cloud Disperses
VIOLETTA ANSWERED my call right from her dressing room, where there were servants preparing her for her first speech before the people as ruler of the Purple House. I still couldn't decide for myself what it was — a positive sign of trust and frankness or, on the other hand, a sign of disdain, as my sister didn't consider me sufficiently important to even get fully dressed before our conversation.
I said the appropriate words of congratulations, to which Violetta just nodded shortly.
"Will that be all, Georg? As you can see, I still need to get dressed."
So, disdain it was... A question tore itself spontaneously from me, although I didn't think long over the topic, forming various suggestions:
"No, this is all for now, dear sister. Just answer me one question. Who other than you is in the Triumvirate?"
By the way the Duchess shrieked in fear and dropped her mirror, I realized I wasn't wrong. I hit my mark! Right on the money! One of the three co-rulers of the Antagonists had been outed. Violetta looked at me like a predator ready to throw itself on its prey. The woman's eyes were open wide, her pupils dilated in horror.
The person standing next to my sister, who I hadn't paid much attention to before that, taking her for a stylist or hair dresser, bowed to the Duchess and whispered something to her. My sister immediately calmed down and even found the strength in herself to smile:
"Guess that yourself? Or did your advisor Katerina tell you? Anyway, it doesn't matter one bit now. Tomorrow, or the day after at the latest, the foundation of a new military and political hegemon, the Grand Duchy, will be officially declared! It will surpass the Empire in every way: territory, population and manufacturing capabilities. And that's to say nothing of its military! All Imperial star fleets taken together will pale in comparison to the Grand Duchy's armada! And neither you, nor the so-called Emperor will have the power to interfere in its affairs!"
The Head of the Blue House, Duchess Ovella royl Stok ton Miro, has died at age 22.
ATTENTION! The new head of the Blue House will be Duke Mark royl Uvar ton Miro (24.3% of votes)
What the hell?! I hadn’t ordered the assassination! Or had my cousin not managed to get the message to the captain of the palace guard in time? Ovella was just twenty-two years old, she couldn't have died of natural causes. My twin sister sharply cut off her bombastic speech and laughed uncontrollably:
"The look on your face, dear brother, is such that I immediately see who is behind the sudden demise of that prissy young girl! But how I understand you! Just imagine, we thought that dumbass Ovella responsible enough to bring her in on the plans of the Great Houses, and entrusted her with a great secret. But she proved her low intellect by blabbing at her press conference! Do you know, Georg, why the remaining Great Houses still have not joined the Blue House in declaring war on your Unatari State? Because we decided to punish Ovella for her loose tongue! They thought that losing part of the Blue House's territory would serve as a good lesson for her and check her pride! But you managed to get to her first! Well, brother, congratulations!"
I didn't deny my sister's conclusions. She wouldn't have believed my justifications anyway. Instead of that, I changed the topic:
"I need Duke Takuro's granddaughter, Crown Princess Joan royl Reyekh. I'm firmly convinced you know her location."
Duchess Violetta stopped smiling abruptly, her face attaining a dismayed and simultaneously apprehensive appearance.
"What do you want with her, Georg?"
Really, what? What well-founded excuse could I invent in this situation? I couldn’t just announce to the newly-crowned ruler of the Purple House that I promised the old Duke Takuro to shelter his granddaughter, the legal heir to the Purple House throne and a direct competitor to the newly-crowned Duchess! Saying such a thing would mean condemning the girl to certain death. I had to take evasive action.
"Well, at the very least because the flagship of my fleet is named in her honor! And also, little Joan is the ruler of the Oort system in the Swarm cluster and is one of the main candidates for the title of Swarm Duchess! I really wouldn't want the girl to share the fate of her relatives, who passed so suddenly all at once. I hope you understand me, sister."
Violetta considered it seriously for a long time. It was funny to watch my sister drum her fingers on the table exactly the way I did in my moments of thought.
"Alright, brother, I'll tell you the truth. Crown Princess Joan is now hidden on a ship of the Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet, which has ceased to obey me, the legal ruler of the Purple House. The insurgents, led by our cousin Marat ton Mesfelle, are blocked into the Nayal, Simpo and Veyerde systems, having turned off the warp beacons there. I wouldn't have paid them particular mind, but those splitters are broadcasting propaganda to the neighboring star systems in the name of the underaged girl. In their provocative clips, they call for disobedience and say that Crown Princess Joan should be the new Duchess of the Purple House. It isn't seriously bothering me, but I am getting a bit annoyed. Georg, if you can talk the girl into leaving Purple House space, I promise to let her procession pass through to the Unatari border safe and sound, and not undertake any hostile actions. You have my word as a Crown Princess!"
"Alright, sis, I'll talk with the insurgents and send them your offer."
The screen went dim, and Crown Princess Violetta signed off. I then, not wasting any time, demanded to be connected with the Commander of the Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet.
* * *
It hurt to look at Marat ton Mesfelle. The young and always flawless-looking commander was faded. His eyes were bloodshot from sleep deprivation, and were sunken in deeply, even with tears of exhaustion welling up.
"Crown Prince Georg, to be honest, I'm very surprised anyone was able to get in touch with my ships, despite the data blockade! All these last few days, the henchmen of the insurgent Crown Princess Violetta royl Inoky ton Mesfelle have been preventing us from contacting anyone."
"Well, my dear sister made an exception for me, allowing me the chance to speak with you for a short time."
The man noticeably stiffened up. I suspect that Marat had totally neglected the fact that Crown Princess Violetta was my twin sister, and was now probably reproaching himself for the fact he even let the call through. I had to reassure him:
"I have nothing to do with the insurgency in the Purple house and am now acting on the last will of Duke Takuro royl Andor."
The Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet Commander clearly didn't believe me, but at the very least, agreed to hear me out.
"Marat, in confirmation of my words, I'll send you a recording of my last conversation with Duke Takuro. There, I gave the old man my word as a Crown Prince that I would provide shelter to his granddaughter Joan royl Reyekh from the chaos currently underway in the Purple House. It didn't take me much effort to discover exactly where the little Crown Princess was hidden. And now, I am intending to provide Joan safe passage to the Unatari State, where the Princess will be under my protection. The new ruler of the Purple House gave me her word that she would not prevent little Joan from leaving her territory."
Marat laughed villainously in reply, even spitting on the d
eck of the starship in anger, which was generally an unallowable offence for any Space Fleet Officer. Such behavior was looked on as disrespecting the ship, the captain and the whole Imperial Military Fleet. To be honest, it shook me. Not able to hold back, I opened the relationship window, and reduced my personal opinion of the man by five points in one go, and also initiated a general reduction of the Imperial Military faction's opinion of the Sector Seven Fleet Commander.
It worked. Marat looked at the incoming messages, adjusted his uniform and stood up straight, no longer slouching with his elbows on the tabletop.
"Sorry, Georg. I'm just dead tired, and two hours ago I took a fragmentation wound to the chest. I haven't slept for three days. I'm only getting by on painkillers and energy drinks. But still, I know one thing for certain: you cannot believe a single word that trash Violetta says! Yes, Georg, forgive me for the sharp words, but your sister Violetta is an uncommon jerk and scoundrel!"
Marat looked carefully for my reaction, wanting to figure out how I felt about my sister. But I didn't speak in Violetta's favor, nor blacken her name, I just asked the man to continue.
"Georg, in the last few days, your sister has ruthlessly killed all of Duke Takuro's sons one after the next! Then five grandsons, the old Duke, and all the rest of the ruling house right down the line! The only surviving member of the Andor and Reyekh families, which ruled the Purple House for centuries, is Crown Princess Joan. All of her relatives have been offed, even the most distant! And you want to assure me that Crown Princess Violetta will let the very last and her main competitor to the throne escape her predatory paws?! Never in her life!"
I stroked the bridge of my nose in contemplation. I had no reason to doubt Marat's words. He was probably exactly right. It was really strange how easily Duchess Violetta had agreed to let Crown Princess Joan out of the trap in the blocked Sector Seven star systems. On the other hand, Violetta's coronation would begin and, any minute now, she would be declared ruler of the Purple House. In a few days, the whole messy situation would simply lose all meaning, because the Purple House would cease to exist, having joined the Grand Duchy.
"Crown Princess Violetta was not being sincere, Georg," Flora told me. "Your sister just wanted the rebelling Perimeter Sector Seven Fleet ships to jump out to meet a Purple House fleet lying in wait. I have almost no doubt that, right after that, there will be an order from Duchess Violetta to eliminate the insurgents."
"Alright, Marat, I agree with you. After everything you've just said, my sister’s promise to let little Joan go looks somehow strange. On the other hand, the Purple House will very soon cease to exist as an independent entity. Crown Princess Violetta is preparing to join the Grand Duchy. That means there will no longer be a throne for little Joan to lay claim to."
The man winced in pain, clearly suffering from his injury, then he shook his head in doubt:
"That is news to me, Georg. I haven't heard about any such plans. But even in that case, Duchess Violetta will never let Joan or the fleet loyal to her go. The new Grand Duchy has absolutely no need for representatives of former authorities, which the people may still support. But at that, the insurgent Duchess has a great need for my flagship Peacemaker. The pride of the Purple House, it’s a practically finished Quasar carrier! Just five hours ago, that piece of trash Violetta promised billions for whoever kills Joan or at least turns on the Nayal warp beacon! And to my enormous pity, she found some takers among my officers. It took a good deal of effort to suppress the insurgency she inspired on my flagship."
I started thinking feverishly, counting through options and refuting them one after the next. The huge Quasar mothership seriously complicated the matter — this really was not the kind of ship that could easily be let go. Trying to put myself in Violetta's place, I admitted honestly to myself that I was not sure I would have been able to keep my word. The temptation was too large in the literal and figurative sense.
"Alright, what do you suggest, Marat? Just hole up in a couple of dead-end systems and stay out of the conflict? I've already seen one such example. The pirates of the Brotherhood of the Stars also began as a principled opposition force against Orange House policies, turning off their warp beacons and making their systems untouchable to the legal authorities. But by the end, they were nothing but petty criminals, constantly raiding neighboring star systems. No matter how pure your intentions may be now, sooner or later, your resistance will meet the same end. After all, any fleet needs supply: fuel for the reactors, parts, rounds and lots of other things. You won't be able to get that all the legal way. The only way is to steal from your peaceful neighbors, in other words, the way of piracy."
The Sector Seven Fleet Commander didn't give an answer, but I saw that my words reached the man, and something sounded back in his soul. I tried to build on my success:
"Here it is, Marat. I can act as a mediator between you and my sister. I'll send one of my fleets to Perimeter Sector Seven. Unatari combat ships will act as the guarantors that both sides honestly uphold the terms of the deal. I am not planning to hold back your ships by force, but the Quasar will stay with me. I am prepared to buy it and compensate you for the staff at a fair price. From there, it's up to you. If you like, swear allegiance to the Unatari State and come serve me. If you don't, I'll let you go free as a bird with all the money."
Marat ton Mesfelle raised his face and looked at me. I saw a timid hope appearing after all these days of complete despondency. He even found the strength in him to smile.
"Everyone knows that the ruler of Unatari is gathering a powerful fleet. My flagship Peacemaker is a very valuable resource, and you won't miss the unique chance to take it for yourself. So I'm sure, Georg, that you'll do everything in your power to deliver this ship, along with its contents to Unatari space. Crown Prince Georg, I trust Your Highness and accept your offer of mediation."
Standing change. Marat ton Mesfelle's opinion of you has improved.
Presumed opinion of you: +52 (trusting)
All that remained was to find out my twin sister's opinion on my mediating the dead-lock. I had to wait almost four hours because, at first, Duchess Violetta royl Inoky ton Mesfelle was giving a speech to her subjects, then taking part in a big celebratory reception in her honor. The Purple House aristocrats hurried to assure the new ruler of their boundless love and loyalty. No one even remembered the former ruler now. But finally, my communications officer told me that the head of the Purple House was ready to speak with me.
The Duchess listened to me carefully, but didn't answer for a long time, not a "yes," not a "no." She was obviously consulting with someone off screen. Finally, my sister answered, adding her own conditions:
"Unatari may bring one medium-sized fleet, but you may not be its commander. As it is, I'm already violating generally accepted safety procedures by letting combat starships of an unfriendly state into my territory. So, I cannot take the risk of having it led by my much-vaunted brother. And my second condition: for the next seventy-two standard hours, you will not inform Emperor August about our agreements, nor my political plans. The Empire is no longer in shape to interfere with the formation of the Grand Duchy, but I still don't want to let them put a stick in our spokes."
"Alright sister, I agree to your conditions. But don't you need to get this decision agreed on with the ruler of the Gold House first? What if Crown Princess Eleonora is against it and cancels our deal?"
Violetta laughed, showing her flawlessly even, white teeth.
"Oh, my dear brother... You're just so dense and behind the times! Our grandmother Eleonora has been in a coma for three months since she had a stroke. The doctors all agree that there is absolutely no chance for the old lady to ever regain consciousness. What's more, her physicians are making sure of that with the greatest zeal, as they understand the potential consequences perfectly. For now, the old bat is needed alive as a symbol of legal Gold House authority. But after the Grand Duchy is formed, power will be shared among the three co-rulers. T
he need for the decrepit Duchess will fall away, and she will be cut off from her artificial life support system."
"Well, well!" It really was shocking news. "Did you know that Emperor August is shaking in fear of his sister's revenge?"
"August simply has a dirty conscience, that's why he’s shivered every time he so much as heard Eleonora's name mentioned for the last two hundred years. He treated his sister unjustly, depriving her of her rightful throne. By the way, Georg, you have repeated that error, removing me from the Orange House Ducal Throne. As a result, instead of a sister who trusts and helps you, you've now got an implacable political opponent. Although, I must admit, I've been watching your successes with great interest. I used to severely underestimate you, brother, thinking you a good-for-nothing nonentity in the game of politics. If you'd revealed your abilities earlier, like maybe twenty years ago, the Grand Duchy might have a Quadrumvirate."
* * *
I was sitting in Florianna's cabin. The little Truth Seeker was learning to walk again, supported under the arms by her physical therapists. As it turned out, for now, the girl wasn't doing particularly well. She was constantly stumbling, her legs twisting and bending. Her muscles, unaccustomed to the strain, were atrophied and hardly obeyed her. But all the same, it was grand progress for the once fully paralyzed girl, and I was sincerely glad for Flora.
"Alright, that’s enough for today!" said the young, swarthy physician Imir de Riz, who'd taken the place of my former senior doctor Nicosid Brandt.
The thirty-year old specialist had graduated from the prestigious Tesse Medical Academy with honors, successfully passed all checks by my security service and Truth Seekers, becoming the main doctor of the ruler of Unatari. It was now clear that he was taking mercy on Flora, who was drenched in sweat and shaking in exhaustion, but wanted to continue her exercises until she totally lost conscious from excessive strain.
A Game With No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4) LitRPG Series Page 13
