“Darius, you’re looking well. How are you doing?”
“I’m well, all’s well,” the archduke replied, but I noticed a hint of concern cross his face.
I took a guess as to the source of his worry. “And how is Marie?”
Darius scowled. “We are still engaged, but she agreed to my hand after the coup, in order to save her nation. Nowthat the Emperor has guaranteed Stelsylvania’s territorial integrity, the princess may wish to reconsider.”
I chocked Darius on the arm. “I wouldn’t worry. It’s still a smart union from a diplomatic perspective. Besides, I’ve seen the way she blushes around you. I think she’s not entirely displeased that political necessity brought you to her instead of, say, Lord Commander Deskovic?”
Darius laughed, visibly relieved. “I think anyone would be an improvement over that bilious hog. But what brings you here? The Emperor is busy. It may not be the best time to fulfill your duties as Consort.”
It was my turn to scowl. “Actually, I’m here for Tilly’s sake. Lyudmyla has no engineers able to repair her, and Prince Aureli won’t even authorize a diagnostic.”
“Spiteful brat. He’s had his way for sixty years and is annoyed someone else stole his spotlight,” Darius said.
“You’re probably right. Thank the stars the Queen is more sensible than he,” I replied.
“Well, the Queen has responsibility for her nation’s well-being. Prince Aureli is what, tenth in line for the throne? So long as he does not make too great a scandal, his life is free of care. It tends to spoil a man.” The archduke rubbed his lip, then said, “I’m sorry, old boy. I’d offer one of my own technicians, but we wouldn’t know what we were looking at without a manual, and I doubt your prince would hand one over to us.”
I agreed with Darius, but thanked him for his concern. “I’ll have to keep searching.”
“Let me send a few stelegrams. I’ll see if there is someone within the tsardom who can help your steed.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I said, but I doubted he would succeed. Taking my leave, I strolled between the armed Imperial guards. Both demons saluted, then one opened thedoor for me. Despite myself, I smiled and returned the salute as I walked into the room.
Astrid was ebullient to see me. “Levar, quick, come look at this.”
She pulled up a star map of the quadrant. It looked so alien without troop dispositions or shaded areas representing the front lines that it took me a moment to realize the national borders were different. The Urgan Despotate was less than a third of its pre-war size, and the Federation had lost a chunk of its border systems. Yezhidia now encompassed over twice as much space as before, resembling the ancient Yezhidian tsardom at its zenith. Stelsylvania retained its original shape, and the Commonwealth had kept its pre-war borders.
“Notice anything?” Astrid asked. When I did not answer after a moment, she drew my attention to a strip of formerly League space which bordered the Commonwealth, reaching to run against Stelsylvania and the expanded Yezhidia. It appeared to be a new nation. Squinting, I saw the title. “Boylania.”
“A new nation?” I asked.
“A new Imperial province. Your Imperial province,” Astrid said.
“Mine?” I asked.
Astrid looked pleased with herself. “I thought you would need a stable income to fulfill your duties as Consort, so I carved a province of your very own from the newly conquered nations. I also thought since you’re friends with the Yezhidian archduke and the crown princess of Stelsylvania, you should be close enough to visit.”
“That’s not a problem with an established portal network,” I replied without thinking. Immediately, I could tell by Astrid’s lowered spirits that I’d said the wrong thing.
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
“I’m sorry. I have other things on my mind,” I explained.
Astrid took my chin in her hand. “Is this about Tilly? Don’t worry. We can fix her.”
“Lyudmyla said no Imperial engineer would work on her,” I argued.
Astrid dismissed my worry. “I’ll hire a foreign expert. You could hire them. You’re rich enough now.”
“It isn’t just Tilly,” I admitted. “You show me this new map with these new borders, a new province with tax revenue to support a most elegant lifestyle, and yet, I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to keep it.”
I sank into one of Astrid’s cozy chairs. “I’ve been asked by my government to return home and renounce all foreign titles, including the consortship. Otherwise, I’ll be court-martialed.”
Astrid was not fazed by my remark. “Well, that settles it. You’re coming with me. You’ll have the consortship and wealth, and I’ll make you a prince in my court. And you’ll have me. You don’t need the goodwill of such ungrateful people or such an unfeeling government.”
“I spent ten years fighting for my government. Ten years watching my friends get fed to the gristmill of war, all for the idea of our future. The Commonwealth is trying to restore transhumanity’s pre-Fall galactic society. We’re restoring new worlds in Fallspace every year, cleaning them of toxins and dangers, rendering them habitable, reclaiming a fraction of the worlds which transhumanity once inhabited. Eventually, we’ll reach the other side of the Rim, and the real work will begin. Freedom, equality, restoration – it may be a dream, but I fought for that dream all these years. Is it so bad that I wish to make my dream into reality? Is it so unreasonable to feel pain at the idea of being exiled from my home forever? Is it so unfathomable that I might recoil at the thought of never seeing again a place I fought so hard to save?”
