282: Royal plots across the oceans (part 2)

Royal plots across the oceans (part 2)

1Kaiser cleared his throat. "Well, yes. Back to the reason why we visited. I actually wanted to have a private audience with my son-in-law, while my wife gets to have a casual conversation with our daughter."

Sasha pouted, "Separate interrogations, eh? That's no fun."

"I would prefer to have an open conversation that includes my wife." Egon declined respectfully. 

The Archduke, momentarily surprised, nodded in agreement and began, "Very well, then. I wanted to address the matter of the injured horse that was brought to my attention yesterday."

Feeling her body tensing beside him, Egon held Adela's hand.

"The shortage of knights in Lanark has been an unfortunate inconvenience," the Archduke continued, "but there was no way around it."

It was Leopold's turn to visibly tense at the implication that Arkin's actions had caused turmoil in Lanark, and sensing his uncle's discomfort, Egon navigated the conversation in another direction.

"Thank you, Your Excellency, for bringing up this matter. It's precisely what I wanted to discuss with you."

Kaiser shifted his gaze to his daughter, "Care to explain what happened, Adelaide?"

Adela's heart sank, did the news about her most recent miracle reach her father's ears? She couldn't help but wonder if it was Aldric himself who had approached the Archduke, and she feared the fabrications he might have woven.

Egon briefly glanced at his wife before turning back to Kaiser. "That might be best discussed privately."

Kaiser gave Egon a perplexed look.

"I am about to sabotage the deal that was made between Emoria and Varinthia." Egon declared.

The Archduke's expression tightened , "Your... request prompts an explanation about the events that occurred yesterday too. Both of you would do well not to leave me in the dark about what's happening."

A heavy silence hung in the room, with even Sasha refraining from making her usual jokes.

Egon cast a glance at his wife, his steady breathing under her father's scrutiny conveyed his commitment to follow her lead and reveal only what she deemed necessary for her father to know.

"Your Excellency is right. In the past, we often kept each other in the dark out of goodwill, but that only allowed others to come between us." She took a deep breath, "Let me start with a conclusion I have reached, one that is linked to the murder of Emanuel de Lanark."

Sasha's demeanor shifted from relaxed to attentive, but Adela welcomed the change, it was the least she could do indirectly for Claude after everything he had done to protect her.

"...I believe that His Holiness, Aldric of Varinthia, is the one responsible for murdering the late King."

As Adela's mother audibly gasped, the rest of the room held its collective breath. Adela's gaze was fixed on her father's reaction, confirming her previous suspicions. It was evident that Kaiser had harbored doubts about Aldric being the murderer.

Unexpectedly, a soft sob escaped Grace, and she pressed a handkerchief to her mouth, murmuring, "If you'll excuse me."

Kaiser, his hand resting on Grace's lap, stopped her from standing up. "Stay," he said softly, looking around the room, "Forgive my wife, everyone. Aldric's mother was like a sister to her."

When Kaiser swallowed down his own bubbling emotions, Adela found herself increasingly puzzled. This confusion deepened when Grace placed her hand over her husband's on her lap, as if she were trying to console him, not the other way around.

"We named our daughter Adelaide after her," Grace explained, her gaze now fixed on Egon. "She once saved my life... You can only imagine how painful it is for me to hear these accusations about the son she loved so much."

When another sob escaped Grace, Kaiser removed his hand from over her lap. She rose from her seat and left for the kitchen.

Adela's immediate instinct was to follow her mother, but her husband's grip around her hand tightened, preventing her from leaving. Egon leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Give her some time alone."

Kaiser, now with a composed tone, addressed Egon, "What do you plan to do about Aldric in general?"

"I intend to drive Aldric out of Lanark."

"Tell us more," Sasha interjected, subtly indicating that Kolhis might be supportive of that.

Egon let go of his wife's hand and leaned forward in his armchair as he continued, "Latora could be the game-changer here, as it has always been."

Recognition first passed over Kaiser's face and then to Leopold, while Sasha remained impassive.

Egon's fingers drummed on the armchair as he explained.

"The desert tribes could voice their objections to the industrial zone and exert pressure on their Duke. Lanark would prioritize Emoria's internal peace and harmony over any business deal that jeopardizes that. And without the industrial zone, Aldric would lose his pretext to stay in Emoria."

"Have you even met the Duke of Latora?" Sasha interjected, "He's as devious as the sands themselves! He'd never put himself in a position of weakness to be pushed around by other tribe leaders."

Egon, maintaining his conviction, simply stated, "I disagree."

Sasha's curiosity was piqued, and she probed further, "Is this because of Rauul's friendship with Claude de Lanark? Would he be willing to pull favors for him?"

Egon's gaze drifted down to his wife's innocent face, and he hesitated before responding, "Rauul is Adela's knight. It's a known fact."

Sasha, somewhat exasperated, threw her hands in the air and exclaimed, "So what?!"

When Egon didn't answer and instead stared at Sasha, Adela understood that her husband was leaving the matter in her hands and her judgment. But this also meant that he already trusted Sasha enough to give Adela that margin of choice.

His trust in her was, as always, empowering.

"Sir Rauul is my knight, and that's public knowledge. However, there's something else that hasn't been disclosed."

Her gaze shifted away from her husband and settled on where the princess was seated.

"I'm willing to trust you with it, Princess Sasha, in exchange for Kolhis's support in any potential confrontation with Varinthia," she said firmly. "I demand a written pact between the Empire and the Kingdom regarding this."

The one thing that could stand against Varinthian warlocks was all the mana that came from Kolhis.

"I'll be damned, Kaiser. You sure know how to raise them," Sasha remarked with a half-smile.

Kaiser, both impressed and concerned, looked at Sasha and nodded in agreement.

"Well, Lady Adelaide, you have my authority to grant you what you want. The future of Kolhis and Emoria will be very different going forward," Sasha declared.

Adela released the breath she had been holding, her heart pounding. It was the first time she would confess her true essence to anybody and use it as leverage.

"Very well then. I am a Healer," Adela revealed, though she couldn't help but hesitate, wondering if her healing abilities were truly the foundation of Rauul's loyalty to her.

It was a hope she held onto dearly.

Sasha, flabbergasted, let her mouth fall open, her eyes darting around the room, expecting someone to laugh. But nobody did.

"A female Healer? Well, that explains quite a bit!" Sasha finally said, her gaze fixed on Adela, who met her stare with determination.

With a huge grin, Sasha turned to Egon, nodding in approval, "Rauul's loyalty will remain with your wife for sure... I must say, it's a bold move to make him her knight. Was that your idea, Egon?"

Egon shook his head bitterly, "No, it wasn't my idea, but it was for the best."

All eyes followed Sasha as she stood up and took a few strides. Then she knelt on one knee by Adela, just like a knight would.

When Sasha held out her hand, Adela didn't hesitate to place her hand on top of the princess's.

"It is an honor to have met you. I look forward to a long-term friendship with you."

Adela held her chin high with pride, knowing that her choices in life had shaped who she had become, not just her identity as Adelaide de Lanark von Conradie.

"When everything settles down in my Kingdom, I'd like to come to you with a business proposal for that very Industrial Zone that's being debated. It could strengthen the ties between the Empire and the Kingdom and empower Emorian women."

Sasha nodded enthusiastically and laughed as she spoke, "Adela, you'll always have my full support!"

The Kolhisan Princess tilted her head and looked at Egon, who wore a sour expression.

"Make no mistakes, von Conradie! I am her number one ally from here on forward!"

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