A Battle Unseen

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Cliff Offices, November 25, 5632

The Acting Chancellor of the Empire, Chris Carleton finished speaking and closed the meeting of the Cabinet with "Very well, Ladies and Gentlemen.  I think this concludes today's business.  With Her Imperial Majesty's Leave, we shall adjourn."  The new Empress nodded slightly to the Chancellor signaling her assent.  The Chancellor took the cue and dismissed Her Imperial Majesty's Government.

"Not you, Mr. Carleton," said the Empress, who had for the most part been taciturn the entire meeting, listening far more than talking.  "Please wait here for a moment."

"Aye Your Imperial Majesty," he said and sat slowly.

"Did you enjoy the coronation, Chancellor?" asked the Empress.

"It was my first Coronation, Your Imperial Majesty," said the Chancellor.

"Ours too," said the Empress.  "In Kalistan at least.  Did you think it was too much?"

"How so, Your Imperial Majesty?" asked the Chancellor.

"Too much-- too gaudy, maybe too expensive?  Do you think our House spent too much money on it?"

"My Lady?" asked the Chancellor.

"Do you think we spent too much money on the Coronation, on the throne, on the crown, on the dress?  Do you think it was excessive?"

"I---" the Chancellor stammered but collected himself.  "Your father may have spent less."

"You are aware that that money that was spent is my own money," the Empress said cooly.

"Of course, your Imperial Majesty."

"Then why do I read in the paper that you thought it was excessive?"

"What paper, Your Imperial Majesty?  Who said that about me?"

"Why, Sir, it is in the Republic!" the new Empress declared.  "Front page, right here, it said that Brethrenists wouldn't make such an ostentatious show of their material wealth and suggests that we use the wealth instead to feed Kundratis."

"Where does it say that?!" the Chancellor demanded.  The Empress handed him the paper, folded over.  "See, this said an anonymous attender.  That could have been anyone."

"Don't play dumb, Mr. Carleton,"  said the Empress.  "We know it was you who said it.  You seem to forget, we lack our father's good nature.  And we don't particularly find that sort of criticism at our own coronation all that funny."

"No Your Imperial Majesty." said the Chancellor.

"And who bade you sit in our presence?" said the Empress.

"Excuse me?" asked the Chancellor, completely nonplussed at being interrogated by this 22 year old... girl...

"You will stand in our presence and will remain standing until we permit you to sit, or do you not think the Protocol applies to you?"

"Surely you don't expect me to..."  The Chancellor was cut off by a knock at the door.  The Empress who was staring daggers into the Chancellor's eyes pressed the button on her desk without even looking.  Clearly she knew what was here:  She was expecting her.  Lady Michelle Ananto-Sandoval entered the room, and stood before the Empress, bowed slightly, and was invited to sit in the other chair.

"We are explaining the protocol to your former Premier, Lady Michelle," said the Empress.

"Very good Madame," said the Princess.  "Is there some point he is not clear on?"

"Indeed, there is point where he believes it is appropriate to sit before his Sovereign has permitted it."

The Princess looked at her former acting Chancellor of the Empire, as if to say, "Oh Christopher, you haven't forgotten it after all this time, have you?"  The Chancellor looked at the Empress, then at Princess Michelle, then at the Empress.  Realizing that both of these women were quite serious, he became instantly cognizant of his peril and promptly snapped to his feet and then fell upon his knees before the desk.  

"Say nothing, Mr. Carleton, if you value your liberty," said Princess Michelle, quietly to the now prone Chancellor.  "Your time is over here.  You are finished.  I am sorry that it needed to end like this, but her Imperial Majesty will not accept what I had to tolerate.  When she is finished with you here, you may return to private life a free man but your political career is over."

The Chancellor looked up at Lady Michelle who he took to be his friend, who had trusted him throughout the regency, and had more or less trusted him to make decisions for the government.  "Why?  Why is my time over?  Because I said something that some random reporter repeated in a news paper?  How did they know? Who even was the source?"

Princess Michelle looked down at him on the floor.  She felt pity at this moment, but it was more of a pity for a pathetic soul than sympathy for this man who had been her chancellor for two years.  "Chris my friend.  I was the source.  We were friends, but she is your Empress.  And Lese-Majestie is still the Law of our land.  And what kind of regent would I have been if I took the side of a commoner over that of my Empress?  If Her Imperial Majesty is finished with you, you may depart."

The Empress did not crack a smile.  "It is our pleasure that you stand and walk out of here with dignity.  You Sir are dismissed."  The now ex chancellor rose slowly, with his head still bowed low.  As per the protocol, he slowly backed toward the door, and exited with his head still bowed.

"I'm sorry you had to do that, Lady Michelle,"  said the Empress.  "He has been bugging me since the 15th, and has been speaking to our Government as if the authority to do so were his.  I hope you will advise me on cleaning house.  And I hope to receive your opinion on improvement of our airforce.  There are growing forces in our region that I don't want to ignore:  If they would like to cooperate with us, that would be preferable, and we will do all we can to get assurances this way, but if their ambition takes them in another direction, we can't operate while a knife held by an Artainian or a Majatran is pointed right at our heart.  So we need to be prepared."

"Mary," said Lady Michelle.  "Your father was a wonderful man.  He was full of joy, he was full of laughter.  He wasn't very serious about anything, even when the situation required that he be serious.  You know this:  He raised you the same way he ran this country.  He was very indulgent of his friends and family.  But those qualities that make someone a good father do not necessarily make that same person a good ruler.  If you are decisive and honest and fair, you will have the characteristics of a great ruler.  If you add a willingness to be serious, you will be legendary.  And people will respect you in a way that they never respected your father."

"And if I do not have those characteristics?"

"Then people will treat you the same way Chris just treated you:  As if you do not matter."

Mary nodded, absorbing the lesson.  "I have to learn to slap the hand that offends me."

Michelle leaned in, "My dear, you must learn to cut the throat that offends you."  The new Empress sat back in horror, but her aunt did not break her eye contact.  "We didn't get this far by being nice.  Especially us women.  Because the world is full of individuals who hate us, fear us and resent us for no other reason.  Our Empire needs fairness and justice, but it also need ruthlessness and utter decisiveness, and then sharing the credit when things go right, while accepting all the blame when they don't."

"Should I have handled Mr. Carleton differently?"

"If I were the Empress, I wouldn't have let him speak," answered Michelle.  Mary nodded.

"I will provide a list of candidates for Your Imperial Majesty's consideration by next week," continued Lady Michelle.  "If we don't have a replacement by December 15, we'll keep looking."

The Empress nodded, and told her aunt that she is glad Lady Michelle agreed to stay a little longer.