“Were you always this horny?” he asked, glaring at her.
“Only after meeting you. So you have only yourself to blame.” She cuddled him. “We should probably clean up and see what Alice wants to talk about.”
Chapter 9
After he and Narime quickly cleaned up—and he admonished the fox with a heavy ruffling of her tails and ears—they let Alice in. She refused to meet Nathan’s eyes for over a minute as he prepared some coffee using the room’s built-in kitchen.
Nathan and Narime protected the room with wards. Despite Maylis’s power, he doubted she could get through his ascended magic. Even in his world, it had been rare to use it.
Then, after he gave Alice some coffee, she hurled a question at him.
“Is Charlotte involved with Falmir’s scheming?”
Alice’s question threw Nathan for a loop, and he scratched his head as he searched for a smart answer.
“What makes you think—” he tried to say.
“Nathan, I’m not stupid. I thought we had established that?” Alice snapped.
“Then let me finish,” he said, raising his hands.
With a click of her tongue, Alice calmed down. She and Narime sat in plush velvet chairs around a long mahogany table. The top of the table was covered in engraved glass, with the emblems of the Emperor and the Anfang Empire visible. The legs of the table and chairs had decorative wings cut into them.
Alice ran a finger along the table as Nathan took a seat. “I thought that all the glass engravings contained images of Omria,” she said idly.
Nathan shrugged. He had never been here, although it was normal for images of Omria to be found almost everywhere. His fortresses had a lot of furnishings like that, although he kept them away from his office and other central locations.
“Why do you think Charlotte has anything to do with Falmir’s plot?” Nathan said. “The assassin is related to a Bastion who has little association with the royal family.”
Narime’s eyebrows shot up.
“A Bastion was involved?” Alice spluttered. “How do you—” She paused. “Nevermind. I already know you have some connection with Falmir. And I suspect Charlotte’s involved for that same reason. The two of you were avoiding each other and acting weirdly all winter. I’ve never seen her like that before.”
Nathan froze.
Ignoring his reaction, Narime swirled her tea while looking at Alice. Her tails unfurled over the back of her chair, suggesting she was relaxing. The opulence of the room suited this pair. They blended into their surroundings. Their posture, their clothes, and even their mannerisms suited the room.
“So you noticed as well,” Narime said with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s difficult not to notice all the weird things Nathan does,” Alice said. “I don’t understand why nobody else points them out.”
“Because it’s in their interest not to,” the fox said with a knowing smile. “Think about who is sponsoring Nathan, and what his achievements mean for them.”
“What about Tharban? And the Nationalists?”
“They’ve been kept far away. They don’t know enough to question Nathan without appearing insincere, and it’s politically disadvantageous to them to attack his military achievements,” Narime continued. “Whatever they say about the new nobles and the beastkin, Nathan expanded the Empire’s borders and fought off a Messenger. Questioning that is a bad look.”
Alice nodded slowly. “Then my next question is: what happens if Nathan ceases to be useful?”
A grim smile rose on Narime’s face. “That’s a good question, even if it’s a difficult one to consider given your relationship with the Emperor and Leopold.”
“I’m beginning to realize that they’ve been scheming something all along,” Alice said. She sighed after finishing her cup of coffee. “Given the current situation, I can’t keep bumbling along within their web. Even Leopold has admitted I’m involved in everything now. I’m no longer the secret of the Imperial Family.”
“True.” Narime nodded. “I don’t know the answer to your question. If you want to be more than a princess flitting about on the periphery, you should find that answer yourself. We don’t know the Emperor as well as you do.”
The smile on Alice’s face turned bittersweet.
Neither woman had noticed that Nathan remained frozen in place, ignoring both of them.
His mind raced at Alice’s earlier words.
Charlotte had been acting weirdly? She had been avoiding him?
“Nathan, what’s wrong? You fell silent after…” Narime paused, then placed a finger against her lips. “After Alice said something about Princess Charlotte. You still haven’t said anything about that.”
They stared at him.
“Charlotte shouldn’t know anything about me,” Nathan said, voice low. “So why was she acting strangely?”
“Shouldn’t?” Alice scowled. “I thought you were connected to her or Falmir in some way?”
He was, but Falmir didn’t know that.
“This has to do with your secrets, doesn’t it, Nathan?” Narime asked.
“It does, and this isn’t the place to talk about them,” he said, with a pointed look at the door.
The risk of Maylis being able to penetrate his wards was too high to risk.
But Nathan wanted to burst through that black door in the corner and shake Kadria until she explained what was going on with Charlotte. She definitely knew something.
The situation made no sense.
“Then when? And where?” Narime pressed.
Nathan’s lips thinned. “The weekend before the Diet session finishes. Anna mentioned there is a break for all the colleges, as it’s when the Emperor is holding his summer ball.”
“Technically, I’m holding it,” Alice said bitterly. “Grandpa has been too busy to organize it.”
Given how much work Alice seemed to be doing, Nathan doubted that the Emperor’s workload had anything to do with it. Something was awry in the palace, and Alice refused to tell him what.
Perhaps he’d find out in the coming days.
“We’ll organize to go somewhere and erect powerful wards. Given we’re being watched, it’s necessary, but that way I can tell all of you at once,” Nathan declared.
Then he raised an eyebrow. “What was that earlier about the Emperor’s schemes?”
Both women filled him in on the part of the conversation he had missed while he worried about Charlotte.
“I agree,” Nathan said.
“With what?” Alice said. She nearly grabbed her gorgeous long hair in frustration, and Nathan felt the urge to stop her from damaging it.
“With you. You said you can’t keep bumbling along in their web. So stop. You’re being given more power and influence here, and I doubt that’s a coincidence. We should use it. Almost nobody knows who you are, other than an Imperial princess. If you don’t change that, then nothing else matters,” he said.
“How do I change it?” she asked, looking him in the eyes.
For a moment, Nathan felt lost. This wasn’t his wheelhouse. He nearly deferred to Anna, then stopped himself.
Alice had asked him for help.
“The same way you did at the negotiations with the Federation. Swing your position and authority around. Everyone wants to meet a princess,” he said. “If they decide they don’t like you, then you can use your title as a shield and send them away. When you need to meet someone who is resisting you, you can force your way in the same way.”
“You like that metaphor, don’t you?” Alice smiled despite her words. “Alright, I’ll try that. Paperwork is draining, but I can natter away at nobles all day long. And forcing my way into places I’m not welcome is my specialty.”
Her eyes glittered. Nathan remembered how he had met her. She had barged into planning for negotiations with the Federation and bullied everyone with her position until they gave up.
Yes, he supposed Alice knew what she was doing.
&
nbsp; Encouraged, Alice left.
Despite his desire to interrogate Kadria, Nathan waited. Narime would notice his disappearance—probably, given Kadria’s magic often prevented that. More to the point, he didn’t want Maylis to notice, if she was monitoring him.
The following days went by slowly. Most of Nathan’s time was spent familiarizing himself with his surroundings, introducing himself to various officials and nobles, and organizing meetings. Anna and Alice busied themselves with politics, and Narime remained with them at all times, providing political and strategic advice.
His Champions rotated through his bedroom. At some point, he realized that he had picked up a rotating guard as well. Although the royal guards kept themselves hidden under their armor, it wasn’t perfect. Especially given the shape of tails was very visible if they wagged beneath their uniforms.
Nathan wondered if the beastkin wanted to guard him, or if they’d been assigned to him because they were beastkin. He doubted it mattered much to them, given their excitement.
The Diet session hadn’t started yet, but Nathan was amazed at how busy the palace was. Falmir had operated on a much less devolved system, instead being far more hierarchical from the king downward. The Anfang Empire was closer to a series of fiefdoms that came together to argue with each other, while the Emperor tried to maintain control.
The system worked because each noble had independent power and rights. They ruled their own lands, voted on measures in the Diet, influenced the archdukes, and—rarely—voted on the next Emperor.
The Diet couldn’t sit all year round. The nobles had work to do at home. Like how Anna needed to run her duchy, most nobles had similar responsibilities. At least, in theory. Nathan suspected many of the nobles he met did little actual ruling. Tharban certainly didn’t, even if he threw his title around.
Right now, those nobles trooped into Aleich to prepare for this season’s session of the Diet. While committees, councils, and smaller matters were handled afterward, the goal of the next few weeks was to discuss and vote on as much of the Empire’s agenda as possible.
Or, in practice, argue endlessly and horse trade to get minor advantages. Either way, preparation was necessary.
“Let me see if I remember Anna’s explanation,” Sen said as they sat in the opulent reception of a mage’s office.
Nathan and Sen sat in a pair of oddly shaped steel chairs. If he turned around, he’d see massive diamond-shaped glass windows with steel plates between them. Through them was a view of Aleich, and the palace itself.
This room belonged to one of the leading researchers of the Empire. Nathan had requested a meeting with him and, surprisingly, been led to this room immediately.
Once inside, he found it devoid of other people. Only the ticking of a wall-mounted steel pendulum clock kept them company. The room’s architecture lacked the typical adornments of Omria’s image, but that was normal for mages. They weren’t religious types.
Which is why Sen peppered him with questions and constant commentary, as she was bored to tears.
“There are three colleges of nobles,” she said. “The Princes College, the Lords College, and the Cities College.”
“Yes.”
“And Anna’s in all three?”
“Technically, yes.” Nathan smiled.
Sen scowled. “How? And why?”
“I take it you want the short version?”
The look he received was cutting.
“Let’s ignore the Cities College, as it doesn’t affect most of the Diet. It holds special votes, specific to cities. Real power is held in the Princes and Lords Colleges,” he explained, although he looked around for a drink. If he was going to be talking a lot, he wanted something for his throat.
Sen obliged by pilfering some water from a very odd-looking water cooler. Presumably Ifrit recognized it, given it looked like a piece of modern art.
“Okay.” Sen nodded. “So why does Anna still sit in the Lords College when she’s not a countess anymore?”
“Although Anna’s a duchess, her family retains its county within her own lands,” he said. “That will fall to her brother, but he’s currently involved in the war with Trafaumh. The Nationalists are using him as a political hostage. Until he’s appointed as the Count of Gharrick, Anna still holds that title, even though she’s also the duchess. It’s quite silly, and has been a source of tension.”
“Tension? But she’s not responsible,” Sen protested.
“Welcome to politics. The people who create problems for you then blame you for them. It’s why I leave this stuff to Narime, Anna, and Alice.” He shook his head with a grimace. “The Nationalists are trying to undermine Anna, and the fact she’s in all three colleges hurts her. Having more votes actually makes her appear too powerful.”
“What about the last one? That’s because she’s a duchess now, right? She’s part of the big dick club and gets to slap all the lesser nobles in the face with it?” Sen said with a laugh.
“I get the feeling you didn’t come up with that yourself.” He gave her a look, hiding a smile.
She shrugged. “Seraph came up with it. She said that the archdukes had the biggest dicks, which is why they were so upset after the Emperor appointed all these new dukes. It made them feel inadequate.”
Surprisingly apt, if crude. Very Seraph.
“Pretty much. The Princes College holds the real power in the Empire. They can overrule the Emperor on military matters and foreign affairs. If the Diet disagrees with them, their only option is to combine both the Princes and Lords Colleges in a single sitting. Theoretically, this allows the counts to limit the power of the archdukes. They attempted this during winter when the Emperor tried to stall the war with Trafaumh,” he explained.
“Indeed,” a new voice said. It held an elderly rasp, but remained sharp.
A man roughly the same age as Leopold stepped into the room. He wore an elegant set of mage’s robes in bright blue and silver. Jewelry hung off his hands, neck, and fingers—all imbued with magic, probably. His dark eyes narrowed at Nathan even as he smiled. A pair of golden half-moon glasses sat on his tanned face.
“A few months ago, the Emperor tried and failed to stop a war through the Diet. He lacked the political power to overwhelm the Nationalists,” the newcomer said, striding toward them. “Now, he’s signed a ceasefire and the Diet can do nothing to stop him. All because of what you’ve done. You have turned the Empire on its head, Bastion Nathan.”
The man held out a hand as Nathan and Sen rose to their feet.
“Grand Imperial Sorcerer Harrum Auerswald,” the man said. “Plus many other titles, but please call me Harrum while we’re in here.”
“Bastion Nathan, but you already knew that,” Nathan said as he shook Harrum’s hand. “This is Sen, one of my Champions.”
“Yet no gem.” Harrum stared at Sen for several seconds.
A presence touched Nathan lightly. So lightly that only long experience around talented mages let him realize what was happening. Sen merely stared at Harrum with a quizzical smile.
Harrum was using his magic to determine what Sen was, but he was a lot more subtle about it than Nathan was when using magic.
“A possessed,” Harrum said after several moments. “And a very powerful one. May I ask what type of spirit?”
Nathan raised an eyebrow at Sen, who nodded at him after several long seconds.
“An ifrit,” he said.
A low whistle escaped Harrum. “Impressive. I had assumed a fire spirit was involved, but one of the djinn…” Harrum removed his glasses, and wiped them. “Yes, I do believe it was the right decision to meet with you. Let’s step into my office, shall we?”
Unlike the reception, Harrum’s office was stark. An L-shaped ebony desk filled one corner of the room. Papers and crystals were stacked high on it. The only other furniture present was a few chairs.
Nathan and Sen pulled them up to the desk, and Harrum took a seat himself.
“I am told
that you have a proposal,” the mage said, eying Nathan. “Ordinarily, the Imperial Sorcerer’s Lodge advises against our involvement with Bastions. You are a soldier. We are researchers. Our intentions run at cross-purposes more often than not. But you have accomplished too much, too quickly, that even a fool would realize you are different from the dullards that so often wear that uniform.”
A long-winded way of saying that mages dislike working for the Army, but that Harrum felt different about Nathan.
“I think there’s a lot we can both learn from the binding stones,” Nathan said.
Harrum’s eyebrows shot up. He drummed his fingers on his desk.
Nathan didn’t feel any wards spring up, which made sense. Mage towers held raw power comparable to binding stones—when cascades struck, they remained some of the few places where magic wasn’t disrupted. Spying on someone in a mage tower was unwise, as the inhabitants might strike back.
“You are aware of your oath,” Harrum said.
“I feel there’s a lot we can collaborate on without violating it. There’s a difference between the secrets of binding stones and Omria, and the way portals and energy flows work,” Nathan said. “And it’s not like mages haven’t studied them before, even if you don’t publish the work.”
“Ah, so that’s your interest.” Harrum stroked his chin. “Why?”
“Because we just faced the largest cascade in centuries, and the only thing that prevented it from being worse was the fact we were at war with the Federation,” Nathan said bluntly. “We need a better warning system. Preferably one that doesn’t shut down during a cascade.”
Harrum gave a long, slow nod. Then another one, after he chewed on Nathan’s words.
“This would be a significant step for us. While I am interested, I must gain permission from the Lodge. What does Lady Nair think?” the mage asked.
“Given I’m training her to become a Bastion, I doubt she has any problems with it,” Nathan said drily.
“Ah.” Harrum smirked. “I do hope the Lodge can be convinced. If you weren’t the political powerhouse that you were, I’d refuse you outright, but things are different now. Which is why I’ll be blunt: what is your price? The Lodge will demand this to be a true collaboration, but you have secrets that will make us the greatest mages in the world if this pans out.”
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