“I wouldn’t—” Aristea couldn’t think of something diplomatic to say. Heinrich had been terrible. He’d been cruel and vain, and when he’d died, she’d been relieved. But despite how awful he’d been to her, she felt guilty for letting someone speak ill of him. As if she should still defend him.
Duchess Krantz held up her hand. “Don’t make excuses for him. I know you’re only wearing black to keep his father’s followers happy and to keep that slobbering Duke Mattison away from you.”
Aristea was too stunned to speak and instead took a few gulps of her wine to wet her suddenly dry mouth.
“Now that we’ve got that out of the way. What are you planning to offer the dukes to win their loyalty? I’ll admit even your mother had better incentives, with the elves growing restless at the borders and the idiot dukes grumbling about succession, as if it weren’t settled long ago.”
“I, well...” No one had asked about her plans. And she had plenty. Getting her sister’s endorsement as Cyra’s chosen, consolidating the Midnight Guard’s power to fight the elves, finding the mastermind behind the stardust distribution, and so much more. But that wasn’t what she was asking, was it? Those were the obvious answers. What any future ruler might say.
“Surely you have a plan,” Duchess Krantz pressed.
“I want to be the most powerful and feared ruler that ever was,” Aristea said
The old woman didn’t show her feelings on her face. “You don’t start small, do you? I have to say I’m impressed.”
“The question is which side will you be on when I ascend?”
The old woman threw her head back and cackled. “I know where I will be. My position has never wavered.”
“And your husband, would he help me uncover who was really pulling my deceased husband’s strings?”
Her expression sobered. “This goes deeper than you think, your highness.”
“Do you think that will deter me?”
“Don’t be a cheeky fool. This has been a fight going on longer than you’ve been alive, girl.”
Aristea recoiled. She thought they’d reached a certain rapport. But maybe she’d been wrong?
“Are you saying Duke Krantz is involved?” Aristea asked.
Duchess Krantz sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’ll speak with him on your behalf, but it’ll be up to him how much he’s willing to divulge.”
“Does his loyalty remain to Heinrich’s line?” Aristea asked.
The old woman laughed. “His loyalty has been, and always will be, to his own ends. He backed Prince Heinrich’s father in the war because he was convinced that it would enrich him. And he stayed close to Heinrich for the same reason. He’s an opportunist through and through. But I have to warn you that he likely won’t see you. He doesn’t trust the Starwebers.”
This verged on treason, but Aristea was willing to take a gamble if it meant having a powerful man on her side.
“And when I win him over, will that bring his allies?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself; you’ll need to win him over first.”
Duke Krantz wasn’t the sort of man you wanted by your side, too fickle and selfishly motivated. A man like that with a small personal army was even more dangerous. But fortunately, she was desperate enough to overlook his faults if it got her what she wanted.
“What do I need to do?” Aristea asked.
She cackled. “You really are nothing like I thought you were.”
“Thank you,” Aristea said. “And might I be so bold as to say you’re not how I imagined?”
“Thought I was nothing but a senile old woman?”
Aristea blushed and stammered an apology, but the duchess waved it away.
“Don’t apologize. Your mother knows that rule. You’re going to be empress someday. You have to make decisions and stick to them no matter what.”
Aristea nodded; it was sage advice.
