The Blood of Queens

Chapter 9

The Queen hissed and twisted her face into an ugly, angry scowl.

Alex wondered then if perhaps her and Ana Hauser's amicability had been an act as well. He looked down at his right hand, keeping it clenched in a fist and ready to crystallize should a fight break out.

Victoria's expression softened and a sigh escaped her lips. "I know what you're going to ask me to do. Trust me, I've schemed and dreamed it over a thousand times. I would gladly put all those hyper conservative, xenophobic bitches' heads on spikes if I could. But I can't afford to. At least a third of the population would side with them and the whole Empire would be in a civil war."

"I'm not asking you to arrest or overthrow those zealots, nice as that would be," Ana said, shaking her head. "You'll have to act smarter, get the Dannic public to at least believe you've got a handle on things. The Jinguo Games are this year. The whole world is going to be watching what happens in Hanjing six months from now."

"You mean watching which delegation will spend the most of their people's money on gaudy clothes and cars?"

Ana blinked away a flash of annoyance from her face and cleared her throat. "It's customary for leaders of participating nations to address the audience. I can pull a few strings in the diplomatic community and make it you this time."

"You want me to go in front of an international audience and babble on like a common jester? You just told me no one thinks I'm a real Queen." Victoria shook her head and blew a puff of air into her loose silver hair.

"No. I want you to hold your head up high and, on behalf of the Angleyan Empire, offer your own nobility riches even they can't thumb their noses at. Your Priestesses can't stop their Queen from addressing the world at the Games if Angley's chosen and they sure as hell can't risk, say, unrest among their deepest pocketed patrons if you announce in that same speech a far reaching trade deal with the Federation."

"I'm not sure I wouldn't get overthrown by populists if I tried something like that," Victoria muttered.

Ana rolled her eyes and "Look, as someone who lives in a supposedly democratic nation governed by the people, let me tell you: you get the rich in line, you keep everyone in line. Rich Dans will be too busy drooling over this to let the middle class get in their way. Trust me. That's how it always works."

While Victoria and Ana nodded in agreement, Alex felt his jaw tighten and his teeth grind from the clenching. The Dannic woman was right, of course. Who the hell gave a shit if the poor or middling community wanted something? The rich had and always would squash them if they stood in their way. Alex turned his gaze downward to the floor. He didn't want his face provoking the runesteel-armed Dannic soldiers.

"Look," Ana said. "I'll do everything possible to keep my countrywomen calm until the end of the year. Then, once the Dannic people see the Queen of their hated enemies openly proclaim peace and offer riches, it'll be much harder for the government to get away with posturing for war. Our people are strong-willed and proud. If they suspect their government of acting against their best interests, they won't hesitate to rally and demand a snap election. And of course, by people, I mean rich people."

"Must be terrifying, working for a government of such a volatile nation."

"It has its benefits and drawbacks. You could say... it's like clutching the wheel of a plane. One wrong move and you crash and burn." A knowing glint flashed across Ana's eye. "So what will it be? Will you take this chance to stand up and be the woman I've always known you to be? Or is the world right to suspect the Church has successfully usurped you?"

The Queen sat up straight and grinned. "Go ahead and let your people know that Queen Victoria Dartmoore III of Angley, Lady Protector of the Realm has an announcement to make at this year's upcoming Jinguo Games."