The Queen's Council The council room was lit by torches, the great table laden by dishes for their lunch. Papers were scattered between plates, copies of diplomatic matters, treaties, messages and other matters. Personal guards lined the walls, reliable men chosen for their honor and trustworthiness as well as an ability to keep their mouths shut. "She's WHAT?" Queen Gwen blurted, looking at Commander Hudson in surprise as she set the piece of beef she was chewing on down. The slim blonde wasn't exactly beautiful, her face was too strong for that, but she was clearly striking. The grizzled old soldier smiled grimly, Hudson dressed in his uniform with his steel gray hair clipped short as usual. "Jantha's new bodyguard Midori is the princess of Edo," he explained, "who disappeared after her father was overthrown." "So what in the nine hells is she doing here as a hiresword?" Richard blinked, the white haired viceroy sitting across the table from Hudson. His clothes were fine, the best silks and lace but his manner was casual as he ate hungrily. "The Shogun put an order of death on the old royals," Hudson said, "though in truth Midori had left years before in a dispute with her honored father. According to the bards they never got along and it was quite a scandal at the time." "Damn," Gwen frowned, looking thoughtful. "Does the Shogun know she's here?" she asked, ripping into a loaf of bread to mop up the juices from her meat. "Sasoke knows," Hudson named the ambassador to Edo, "but according to our spy in his residence he hasn't sent word." "We thought he was in disfavor with the Shogun due to his loyalty to the old king," Richard mused, "I suppose this proves it." He ripped a chicken leg off the bird and chewed happily, a bit of grease dripping down his chin. "Too bad the knowledge is no earthly use to us," Gwen noted glumly. "Well, yes and no," Hudson mused. "We can't use Midori politically, the Shogun would try to eliminate her as soon as he knew that she was alive," he smiled faintly, "but militarily she'd certainly be an asset to us." "Oh?" Richard looked curious. "You see, the reason Midori feuded with her father was over her military ambitions," Hudson explained, "if I understood the translations properly she'd have been considered a general here." A grin, "An' she was damn good at her job." "Let's hope that isn't necessary," Gwen reminded both men. She grasped her goblet of wine and drank, "What do you think of the latest proposal?" "From the Guild of Gentlewomen?" Richard quirked an eyebrow. He smiled slightly, "They could be useful to us." Hudson frowned, "I can't say I'm impressed that they'd make their support conditional on gaining official status." Richard smiled with amusement as he pointed out, "It's not like they have many options or leverage, Commander." Gwen nodded with a sudden grin, "An' I'd have to confess to being a supporter of theirs, too, though they don't know it yet." "M'lady!" Hudson scolded. Gwen laughed, "You know as well as I do that I've pushed for many of the rights that the Gentlewomen want, I just tend to be more subtle than that." She sighed, "The problem is, I can't publicly admit to such support, not without driving the conservative lords away." "There's still some grumbling from the conservatives to remove you," Richard offered up that fact, "and they have some pretty impressive private armies." "The city guard and the Queen's Own are ready to defend you," Hudson said firmly. "I notice you didn't say anything about the army at large," Gwen said wryly. "They're torn, m'lady," Hudson admitted, "most are drawn from the districts of various lords an' many are loyal to them, first, then to the crown. While many lords have pledged to you publicly others have not, and that makes the fighting men nervous." "And without a loyal army I can't make the lords acknowledge me by force," Gwen sighed. She drank again, "And how's the diplomatic situation?" "Improving, actually," Richard said with a smile. "Jantha and your high level diplomats have managed to secure non-aggression pacts or full treaties with the majority of our neighbors," he reported, reaching across the plates to heft several scrolls. "But?" Hudson asked, feeling certain there was more. "The King of Xiang to the east has rebuffed our diplomats and his army is recruiting," Richard admitted, "I suspect he had unfriendly intentions." "And he lies between us and the far border of Edo, too," Gwen mused, mentally envisioning a map. Her kingdom bordered on the sea on one side, smaller kingdoms to the north and south. To the east was Xiang, a mountainous region that was difficult to pass to those who didn't know the land well, then beyond that the great kingdom of Edo that stretched across much of the continent. "Why would he dare pursue a military attack on us," Hudson frowned, "with Edo waiting to snatch him up?" Richard frowned, "It's difficult to know the mind of such a man, but I suspect he hopes that taking us will make him enough of a power for Edo to negotiate with." "If he thinks that he's dreaming," Gwen shook her head, "only the loose alliance of the kingdoms of the west has kept Edo from taking us before now." Hudson smiled grimly, "And if Xiang falls we'll be the next one to go." "Do you think the others will stand beside us if Edo does decide it's time to move?" Gwen asked Richard softly. "They know if we are taken they're doomed, too," Richard said. He smiled slightly, "I suspect we can use this threat to start bringing the nobles in line, m'lady." Hudson snorted, "The fools will fall in line if only for their own safety." Gwen changed the topic, "Have we found who sent the Genin after Jantha?" "Lord Darthan," Hudson said simply. There was a moment of dead silence as both nobles heard that. "Didn't he just have a deadly accident?" Richard blinked. Gwen smiled faintly, "One of your special agents, I take it?" Hudson nodded firmly, "I apologize for not informing you earlier, but I thought you wouldn't want to know officially yet." "Why not just bring him to trial?" Richard demanded. "Richard, think about it," Gwen said softly. "He's was a leader of the conservatives and my greatest enemy, if I tried him it would automatically look bad no matter how fair I am." "And a political assassination is better?" Richard scowled. "Yes, especially with these," Hudson took a set of scrolls and passed them to Richard, "Here are the sworn statements of his vassals regarding what he did. You can hold them over his cohorts, especially if they continue to be stubborn supporting the Queen." Richard hefted the papers as he looked at Hudson with reluctant admiration, "You can be a real bastard at times." "I know," Hudson smiled. "So with him dead will the Genin attacks stop?" Gwen asked. "Sadly, no," Hudson made a face,. "the Genin feel honor bound to complete a contract to the best of their ability." "So they'll keep going until...?" Richard trailed off. "Until they feel certain they've fulfilled the debt to their employer," Hudson sighed. A grim look, "Apparently Darthan wanted Jantha dead so that once he eliminated Gwen there would be no successors available." "Bastard," Gwen growled.
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