Part 34 (1/2)
”Well?”
”A world-altering situation, sir. A courier killed two horses bringing the news.”
”And?” Dread crept into the back of Hecht's mind.
”Here, sir?”
”Yes. Here. Now. In front of everyone. Spit it out.”
”As you will. The Emperor is dead.”
”Lothar?”
”That one. Yes. Right now we're the only ones who know.”
And the Devedian community, of course. And all the Instrumentalities of the Night. And anyone who had congress with them.
Hecht turned to Anna. Before he could speak, she said, ”It's time to go. And waste no time. The whole world just changed.”
9. Hochwa.s.ser: Ceremonies of Death and Life Hochwa.s.ser: Ceremonies of Death and Life
Princess Helspeth, Grafina fon Supfer, Marquesa va Runjan, Contessa di Plemenza, and so forth, thought she had herself under control. She had known it would come. She had had time to become intimate with the truth during the bone-breaking rush from Plemenza to Hochwa.s.ser, where Lothar had been gathering a small army for a limited campaign in northern Firaldia. But seeing Mus.h.i.+n in a coffin, in a room lined with blocks of ice, took it out of the realm of the intellectual, into that of the intimately painful and real.
She threw herself onto the boy's pale, still form. Mus.h.i.+n was so cold. And so much smaller than he was inside her memory.
She lost control.
A hand squeezed her shoulder. She looked up. Katrin stood over her. Katrin's eyes were red and hollow. The pain had razor-slashed her soul.
The sisters fell into one another's arms. They wept together under the scowls of Katrin's women and several of the Empire's leading men. The majority and most powerful of of the Council Advisory, however, had not yet arrived. They seemed in no hurry to present themselves for Emperor Lothar's final ritual obligation to the Grail Empire. the Council Advisory, however, had not yet arrived. They seemed in no hurry to present themselves for Emperor Lothar's final ritual obligation to the Grail Empire.
Helspeth pulled herself together before Katrin did. To the surprise of the younger sister, Katrin was the one they called the ice maiden. Katrin was the one who concealed everything happening inside. But Katrin was the one who had focused all her strained and stilted emotion on her beloved Mus.h.i.+n.
Katrin said, ”My world has ended, Helspeth.”
Helspeth wondered why Katrin had no pet name for her.
”This is worse than when Papa died. Though we've always known that it would happen.”
”Father was hard to live with,” Helspeth said. Parroting Katrin explaining her lack of distress after Johannes's fall at al-Khazen. Helspeth was too rattled to engage her own wit. ”Who are those men?” She indicated three priests who seemed intent on remaining unnoticed.
”Father Volker. My confessor. I don't know the other two. Father introduced me but I was too distracted to remember. One of them is a bishop. He's going to preside at the funeral and my first vows.”
”Oh.”
”I don't want to be Empress, Helspeth. I don't want to deal with Omro va Still-Patter and all those coldhearted vultures. Help me, Helspeth.”
”Always, dear sister. I am your most faithful and devoted subject. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it. Just tell me.”
A flicker of cold suspicion crossed Katrin's features.
Katrin Ege a.s.sumed the Imperial honors the day following Helspeth's arrival at Hochwa.s.ser. She did so in the absence of the Council Advisory, with the blessing of Bishop Hrobjart of Carbon. The Bishop administered a preliminary oath in the interest of state continuity. The official coronation was set for late summer, during the Feast of Kramas. The Feast was an ancient celebration, the reasons for which were lost in time. Grail Emperors were elevated officially on that date. They had been since the New Brothen Empire was imagined by the Patriarch Pacific II. Some who indulged an interest in matters historical believed Kramas commemorated a victory by tribesmen over invading Old Brothen legions. The Battle of Carmue, in Brothen history, had had an impact so great that the emperors never again tried to conquer the heart of the continent.
There were arguments. Those of the Council Advisory already on hand insisted on delays. The full Council was needed.
Unsaid, but understood, was that the full Council had less trouble bullying Katrin.
Helspeth was careful to say nothing negative about those ugly old men.
Privately, Algres Drear suggested, ”If you want the Empress to know anything special you'd better deliver the message before Hilandle shows. Once he does Katrin will be hard to reach. He'll make sure access to the Empress is strictly managed.”
Helspeth was impressed. That was the most the man had said since Lothar placed her under his protection. His advice was sound, too. ”Captain, I need you more than ever. How do I a.s.sure your loyalty?”
”My loyalty is a.s.sured, Princess. It was the will of the emperors, your father and your brother. Only death can separate us. I'll be closer to you than I am to my wife.”
Literally. Drear's wife refused to travel to Plemenza.
”I wasn't made for this, Algres.”
”No one is till it's thrust upon them.”
”But...”
”You are the daughter of Johannes Ege and Terezia of Nietzchau.”
Helspeth wanted to argue but was too tired and too depressed. She hated her life. And it was unlikely to get better. Even Plemenza was losing its charm.
”I'm not sure that will be sufficient.”
Drear turned grim. ”You have enough on your mind. Get some rest. But see your sister as soon as you can.”
Katrin did not answer Helspeth's message. She had gone into seclusion with her confessor and the other churchmen.
Ferris Renfrow arrived before the Grand Duke, in time for the interment and a hasty succession ceremony performed by Bishop Hrobjart. Just materializing behind Helspeth's left shoulder. She knew he was there without looking. The overcast began to clear from her emotional skies. The slump went out of her shoulders.