Industry & Intrigue (35 page)

If Alkos failed to hand over
the party responsible
, Galria had pledged to take measures on their own
to ensure their security. Whether that meant war or not, no one
could tell, but all the garrisons on the southern border were at
full defensive alert.

“
Commander McLeod, I think it’s
time the investigation had a fresh set of eyes
. Your people have done an
admirable job, but we are running out of time.” The watch commander
dropped his head, but he didn’t say anything in
response.

“
Director
Talmach,” Lawrence addressed
the man sitting to James’ left. The spymaster had said little
throughout the meeting. He was well-known for his silent
observance. He had light brown hair, which he kept closely shaved
and wore a set of glasses that lent his face a sharp
intelligence.

“
Yes, Your Imperial Majesty?”
Nolan’s voice was soft and light, though the man himself was
anything but that description.

“
You have intelligence
investigators do you not?”

“
Of course, Your Imperial
Majesty. They are traditionally used for internal issues within my
department, but they are experts nonetheless.”

“
Good. I want you to
assign
your
best people to investigate this assassination. They have a free
hand for anything they need. Commander McLeod’s people will hand
over everything to you.”

Nolan
nodded and looked over at James. The
watch commander frowned but nodded in agreement.

Then Austin Blake spoke up, “Your Imperial
Majesty, if I may, this is most unorthodox. Imperial Intelligence’s
role is to deal with external matters. This is an internal matter
and as your minister of security it comes under my
department.”

Lawrence wasn’t surprised that
Austin wanted to control the investigation.
“This is an unorthodox
situation Minister Blake. The Custody Department is not prepared
for an investigation of this nature.”

The Alkos Custody Department,
was the mini
stry of security’s largest organization, with jurisdiction
across the entire empire. “I need the investigation to proceed with
discretion. Something which Imperial Intelligence excels
in.”

Austin looked ready to say
someth
ing
else, but he smiled. “Of course. It is your decision, Your Imperial
Majesty.”

Lawrence relaxed.
H
e was not
in a mood for Austin’s resistance right now. “Now, Director
Talmach, do you have any more developments for us with regards to
Galria’s current operations?”

“
Yes
, Your Imperial Majesty. The Galrians
have moved two more divisions to the border forts. That makes six
in total. King Cyrus has had several meetings with the Zefey and
Silunder ambassadors.”

“
We knew that would happen.
Galria is shoring up its friends a
nd possible allies,” replied
Lawrence.

“
It’s
bluster,” said Sanya. “The Galrians
make a big show and beat their chests. As long as we give them what
they want, they’ll calm down.”

“
You think so
?” said General Marnoch. “We’ve
all heard the tales of Cyrus the Paranoid. He’ll be jabbering in
his throne room that all of Alkos is coming after him personally.
He’ll have the entire Urdov court in an uproar, baying for our
blood. We need to prepare for the worst.”

He turn
ed to address Lawrence, “Your
Imperial Majesty, I can have one third of the Imperial Army at the
border within a week, but we need to move now.”

“
And when the Galrians find out
we’re moving so many troops to the border, how do you think they’ll
react, or do you think we’re the only nation that employs
spies?
”
snapped Sanya “For all we know it could confirm their fears that
the assassination was a plot and we’re getting ready to declare
war.”

Lawrence saw the logic in both
of their arguments. He couldn’t do nothing
, but neither could he risk
antagonizing Galria by acting too aggressively. “General, recall
what troops you require from Naikos and Hidan, but do not make
moves toward the border. We have adequate defenses for now.
Minister Mason?” The young foreign minister met his eyes. “Send a
telegram to your Galrian counterpart, tell him I want to have a
meeting in Sethain.”

“
I don’t think he’ll be willing
to come
himself, Your Imperial Majesty. Not right after his
predecessor was killed on our soil,” she replied.

“
I don’t care who he sends in
his stead. As long as I can talk to someone who represents
him
. Set the
meeting up for the final day of the Galrian ultimatum.”

“
Your Im
perial Majesty? You seriously plan to
travel to Sethain at a time like this. Is that wise?” asked
Sanya.

“
I’m not a child Sanya. I’ll be
surrounded by soldiers and bodyguards. And I do know how to fight
myself if
it
should come to it.” Lawrence had served in the Imperial Army in his
late teen years during the early Naikos campaigns.

Shonna Ciar spoke up
next
, “Your
Imperial Majesty, if you do insist on going, then at least take
several Scepters with you.” Her curly black hair was greying and
shook lightly as she talked.

“
No. The Scepters need to
coordinate with the Imperial Army. I have my Imperial Guard if
anything goes wrong. Director Talmach, I will be leaving in two
days. I hope that by the time I arrive in Sethain, you’ll have
something I can take to the Galrian envoy.”

“
My
agents will do everything they can to
determine the culprit and motive behind this crime. I will keep you
updated with every new lead they receive, Your Imperial
Majesty.”

An hour after the meeting
concluded,
Lawrence stood outside the doors of Queen Clara. Her guards
knocked on the door and one said, “Emperor Lawrence to see the
queen.”

Ursa opened the
door
. “Your
Imperial Majesty,” she said and bowed then stepped back to let him
enter.

Even dressed in simple gown,
Clara
still
looked stunning. His heart skipped a beat, but he pushed his
feelings aside. He had come here for something else.

“
Emperor
,” she said in her sweet voice. “To
what do I owe this pleasure?”

“
General, may I have a moment
alone with your queen?”
The general raised her eyebrows but
acquiesced.

“
Of course, Your
Imperial Majesty.”
She stepped into the corridor and shut the door.

Lawrence approached Clara and
caught the scent of her vanilla
hair. “I have something for
you.”

“
Lawrence,” she sighed. “I
thought we already settled this.”

He shook his head.
“No, no, it’s not a
gift of that nature. It’s something different.” He handed her two
envelopes, both with his seal.

She took them and asked, “What are
these?”

“
As you’re all too
a
ware my
nation is guilty of allowing a heinous crime to take place in our
capital. Alkos could be at war soon, in fact I feel that there is
little we can do to prevent it. This war will be different, every
nation of Maceon has taken sides with either us or Galria. It will
tear the continent apart.

In two
days I will be travelling south, I
will either have good news to tell the Galrian envoy or I will have
to use every bit of politeness and diplomacy I have to prevent a
war. The one upside to war is that I will have far more freedom to
use the Imperial Treasury. If war breaks out, you need to
immediately take the top envelope to the Arketh Commerce
Bank.”

Clara looked at the envelope, it had the
name of the director of the bank, Perriman Adair.

“
That will instruct them to make
payment to the account I have directed. Then take the second
envelope to the Red Knights.”
The Red Knight sigil was on the other
envelope.

“
Hector Cicero will give you a
mercenary army of forty thousand soldiers, for a one year contract,
with an option to extend it for an additional year. He’s a rough
man, but he runs the largest and most well-trained mercenary army
in the empire. He will help you re-take your kingdom.”

She lo
oked up at him, her eyes full of
gratitude. “Lawrence, there’s been so much resistance from your own
government about getting involved in Estara, if you do
this-,”

“
Anyone in my cabinet who
complains about this, will find themselves in front of my throne.
They’ll have to give me a damn good reason why I shouldn’t strip
them of their position and wealth.
As I said, war does have small upsides.
Take back the throne you deserve my sweet queen. If I cannot have
your hand, then I can at least do this for you.”

She dropped the
envelopes
,
rushed forward and kissed him hard. He returned the kiss in full.
By the time she stopped he was breathless.

“
Tha
nk you. This means everything to me,”
she said, her voice full of gratitude.

“
If I’d had my way this would
have been done years ago. I’m only sorry it has taken this long.”
It was true, Lawrence had slowly been pushing for a restoration of
the Estaran monarchy throughout his reign.

“
So you’ll be heading
south
. Is
that wise, if Galria plans to attack?” she asked.

“
I cannot ask my own soldiers to
go
where I
will not. I am hoping both my own people and the Galrians see it as
gesture.”

“
And you only have two
more days here in the city?”

“
Yes
,” he replied. He was not sure where
she was going with this.

She pulled him in close
and
whispered in his ear, “Then we had best make use of the
time. Wait for me after nine o’clock tonight, I’ll meet you at your
chambers.”

He pulled back, surprised but glad. “But
you, we…,”

“
We’
ll both be leading our nations to
war. To hells with what is proper. We can’t be joined, but let’s at
least have the pleasure of one night together.”

He tried to speak, but she put
a finger on his lips
. “No, don’t say anything else. I’m sure you have many
other duties to attend to. I will see you tonight, where I can
thank you properly.”

Lawrence nodded,
he couldn’t help
but grin. He walked back and stepped out of the room. He was still
smiling, but he had managed to control it enough so Clara’s general
wouldn’t notice.

“
Your Imperial
Majesty
,”
she said as he exited.

“
Thank you
genera
l. I
believe your queen has good news she would like to discuss with
you.” He walked away, leaving Ursa with a puzzled look on her
face.

Cha
pter 33

“
Is this everything?” asked
Fiona Badenoch. Her midnight black hair went down to her chin and
hugged her face. Her high cheekbones and oval eyes hinted at native
Kordatian in her family tree. She was a senior agent for Imperial
Intelligence and she specialized in conducting internal
investigations and counter-espionage.

“
Everything
Imperial Branch gave me,”
replied Director Nolan Talmach. Then he handed her another file.
“This is everything they missed or didn’t think was
relevant.”

She opened the file and
her partner, junior
agent Kendrick Jamieson, stepped into the office. His black spiky
hair was done up in the latest style and his white shirt had a red
stain near his right shoulder.

“
Sorry, sorry,” he said, sitting
down in the chair next to Fiona.

Nolan pulled
out his pocket
watch. “Five minutes late, Agent Jamieson. What was so important,
you deemed it necessary to take care of before attending a top
priority briefing?” The director had a peeve about
tardiness.

“
Sir I…I have no
ex
cuse. I
lost track of time,” he shamefully answered.

“
Having a late
lunch?”

“
Sir?”

“
Well your shirt is stained with
wine, I can only assume you had a late lunch.”

Kendrick
grinned. He could always remain
in a jolly mood, even when he was in trouble. It was one of the few
traits that Fiona admired about him, that and his forensic
skills.

“
It is wine
sir
, but not
from a meal. I was conducting an experiment and, well…I let it get
out of control,” he said.

Nolan nodded and moved
on
. “As I
was explaining to Agent Badenoch, the two of you will be
investigating the assassination of Atoli Rossiv, the Galrian
Foreign Minister.”

Kendrick sat back and rubbed
his
chin.