“I’ve heard tell that Montespan’s servant is engaged in nightly drills of packing and unpacking her belongings.”
The Grand Duke began. He poured Jean a glass of liquor in lieu of tea as he continued speaking.
“After the royal funeral, my beloved nephew will don the crown—my beloved nephew who does not even have an army to command.”
They were in the study of the Grand Duke, and on one of the walls hung Jean’s gift to the duke, the court sword. Jean felt proud of the sword, for it had done its duty very well. He brought his glass to his lips, waiting for the royal to continue speaking.
“My concern is the realm.”
The commander, whose years of youth were long behind him, spoke in a calm tone. He lowered his glass.
“At present, there is no food to sustain our soldiers, and without provisions, there would be none manning the borders. Our neighboring nations will surely seize upon this weakness, especially with a youthful crown prince upon the throne, unversed in the arts of war.”
“...”
“I but seek to preserve the noble lineage of our royal house, which has withstood the trials of centuries.”
Preserve the noble lineage of the royal house. The words caused Jean to recall Maximillian observing through the coach window. Jean inquired as to what he was beholding. My Joachim, the prince had replied. Was the prince’s Joachim the same as this man’s? Jean wondered to himself, draining his glass of liquor. The Grand Duke handed him a cigar.
“’Tis of no great challenge to feed and attend to the needs of the soldiers at present, Your Highness.”
The distinctive fragrance of the tobacco leaves permeated the air with a strong aroma. Jean carefully cut the cap and set it alight. Slowly, the end began to burn. Placing the cigar holder between his lips, he resumed speaking.
“Nevertheless, should you accomplish such a remarkable feat, who among the populace would take it upon themselves to seek the truth behind it and duly appreciate your prudence, Your Highness? Indeed, they would make accusations of kin killing against you, accuse you of being ensnared by the allure of greed and intoxicated by the lust for power. Subsequently, they would employ such accusations as a premise to raise their own forces. The countries neighboring ours and those with whom we have formed alliances would be the foremost to assail us. I say that such a circumstance would be when the royal house finds itself truly in danger.”
Every time his mouth was opened, smoke and fragrance escaped. The Grand Duke, sitting across from Jean, said naught. Jean continued.
“No man would embark his treasure on a sinking ship, Your Grace.”
Silence briefly reigned. Jean curled his lips with the cigar in his hand. His eyes met the duke’s, who simply puffed out smoke.
“My soldiers would be presented with a challenge to survive this winter. They have naught to feed themselves with. As you are well aware, no funds are available throughout the empire. Save for those fortunate enough to possess wealth in far-off lands, like yourself, my young lord, all are in a grim struggle for survival.”
The Grand Duke spoke after a long while. Jean struggled to bite back his tongue. Otherwise, he might have responded to the duke that despite the hardship of the empire, here was the Grand Duke, smoking a cigar, drinking tea, and feasting on foie gras. It was fairly natural that Jean recalled the lengthy queue of people outside the church.
“And so is my brother. I doubt he will live to witness the coming spring.”
The Grand Duke, oblivious to Jean’s thoughts, spoke. My brother. It referred to the current king. Jean did not avoid the duke’s gaze. He saw the end of the burnt cigar, turned into ashes. The Grand Duke hesitated no longer.
“I do not believe that it is a great sin to usher a fated end to come sooner...”
“...”
“But should the Crown Prince commit the sin of patricide in his eagerness to assume the throne, how could I, as a steadfast subject to His Majesty and his kin, abide idly by, feigning ignorance?”
Alas, the duke unveiled his true intent. He equivocated, but Jean understood his words nonetheless. The Grand Duke plotted regicide. He would murder his brother, the emperor, who was no different from a dead man as he was. The duke was plotting to cast blame upon Maximillian, marshaling forth the armed forces in the aftermath. It did not differ much from what Jean had anticipated, which proved to be a most fortuitous circumstance. Jean burst out into a short laughter.
“A conspiracy so common throughout the course of history,” said Jean deliberately in a belittling manner.
“Might I suggest, Your Highness, that we consider a more assured approach?” Jean continued, puffing out smoke.
The fish took the bait. The duke laid down his cigar and clasped his hands together. Jean was still smoking when the duke inquired.
“Pray, what do you mean?”
The cloud of smoke concealed the face briefly before revealing it again. Jean grinned lightly and put down his cigar as well.
“The stratagem you have fashioned, Your Grace, is indeed a tried and true one. Yet, there is peril in its potential expansion into conspiracy. The Crown Prince stands solitary while you have an army at your disposal. Such a course of action, Your Highness, may not favorably illuminate your standing.”
“And?”
“Place some agents alongside the Crown Prince. And once they incite a coup d’état, move in swiftly and suppress them.”
It would be the safer way, Jean quickly finished his speech. The Grand Duke had a subtle look on his face. Jean stood up. It would be unwise to leave an impression of coercion. If it were revealed that this was the moment Jean had eagerly anticipated, then all efforts would become meaningless.
“Notify me of your verdict, Your Highness, and provide the count of your troops to be provisioned. I shall make ready the necessary sustenance accordingly, all in the name of Your Grace, my Lord Duke.”
Jean added, putting on his coat. The Grand Duke rose to his feet. Jean fastened the front of his frock coat. He was about to put on his hat when he noticed the easels in the corner. He threw a glance, and a dying wolf and snake looked back at Jean. Jean looked at the painting on the right, the one depicting the death of the snake, and searched the lower right corner. He could not discern the signature from where he stood.
“As evidence of our discourse today...”
His words spilled forth without forethought, driven not by his will but by action.
“I shall take that painting with me.”
Only after he had spoken did Jean realize his insolence. He had announced his action, instead of having asked for leave to do so. Fortunately, the Grand Duke consented without hesitation. A servant came to wrap the painting.
“I shall send a message soon.”
The Grand Duke told Jean as he was mounting on the coach. The old man looked lost in contemplation, his hands clasped behind his back. Jean simply nodded once. He could read the duke’s deliberation so evidently that it was almost palpable. No matter, for the duke would arrive at a decision when he could no longer provide for his army.
Jean laid the portrait on the seat across from him. The coach soon began moving. After a brief while, Jean looked back through the window. The Grand Duke’s residence had turned small, like a house in a painting. He took a deep breath. His chest had been fraught with tension. Perhaps it was due to Jean’s withholding of breath or perchance due to his own anxious thoughts. Nevertheless, the strain in his chest abated, permitting him to draw in a welcome breath at last.
All was proceeding splendidly. Jean could tell with his reason, and with his instinct. The Grand Duke would find it difficult to refuse such an offer. Jean’s first remaining task was to inform his brethren about this confidential exchange. They would settle upon the day that the Grand Duke would assassinate the emperor. Then, Jean’s sole task would be the preparation for the forthcoming significant event.
He touched his chin. They would have to discuss the date. Jean aimed to manipulate the duke into dispatching his army to the border of the empire, and the river’s condition was pivotal in prolonging the soldiers’ absence from the capital following the emperor’s demise. The thawing of the frozen river would render it impassable for weeks, providing the ideal window of opportunity.
Spring is coming, Jean thought to himself, tapping on the window. It was already late into the winter. The cold was in its last whim before it was banished. The day chill was still harsh, but early spring was enough to melt the river into flowing water, too treacherous for horses to traverse. That was all Jean asked for.
The scheme concocted by Jean and his brethren was rather straightforward. They aimed to upend the Grand Duke’s strategy by turning it upside down. They would manipulate the duke into sending his men outside of the empire. There would be no soldiers to quell the revolutionaries, who would have taken over the capital by the time the army was back. Their justification for seizing control of the capital would be to thwart the Grand Duke, who had slain the emperor and the Crown Prince, the duke’s foremost adversary, and instigated a coup d’état. The soldiers of the Grand Duke would find themselves delayed at the river’s edge. Before they could return, the revolutionary spies embedded within the ducal force would kill the duke. And the Empire Joachim would have lost its royal lineage. The revolutionaries would stand in Joachim’s square and cry for the transformation of the empire into a republic.
A blood bath would ensue. It is inevitable, Jean told himself. There were some aristocrats who stood with the revolutionaries, but they were mostly secondborns of lowly nobles. None of those who could summon the force of the people of its domain nor afford a private army would easily agree with their cause, and the revolutionaries were of the mind to wipe them out along with the Grand Duke. However, they were aware that it would be much toiling. Long, hard work awaited them.