Both Anhalt and Villendorf had ignored those warnings until now. As princess-elector nations, neither of us felt the need to be bossed around by a measly emperor. We had the right to rule over our nations as we pleased, and we could easily kill the emperor and replace her with a new one. That had worked for us until now, but the situation had taken a rapid turn.
“What do you think of the report we received from the Holy Gusten Empire?” I asked.
“Are you curious about those in the east, beyond the Silk Road?” the minister inquired. “That’s a long way away.”
“I am.”
I’d received an interesting report from the empire. A dynasty in the east had apparently perished at the hands of the nomads. To be precise, it was a nomadic nation. No matter the case, the tribes had banded together to form a nation and destroyed a dynasty. They’d formed alliances before to attack enemies, but the nomadic tribes were constantly at war against each other. They’d never been unified, but now, I’d received news that they’d banded together.
I was lost in my thoughts. Think, Ina-Catalina Maria Villendorf! What are the chances that the nomadic nation will try to attack our kingdom? The answer was zero. They were too far away and would require massive amounts of time to plan a coordinated attack. This didn’t just apply to the nomads. The Holy Gusten Empire was no exception to this rule, and as people with various interests were involved, it was difficult to unite them all. However…
“While people can’t be so easily brought together, the reality is that the nomadic tribes united and devastated a dynasty,” I said.
“If that’s true, the charismatic leader who accomplished such a feat must be very powerful,” the minister replied. “Not once have I underestimated them or assumed that they were weak.”
“They should’ve just stayed in the great plains of the east, forever squabbling over water while suffering the countless trials that nature sends them—heavy snowfalls, low temperatures, strong winds, and famines. They should’ve just experienced a life of hell in this world before they went to Hell.”
These nomads were a pain in the ass. If they unified under a ruler, they’d only be a bigger pain. I surmised that the Holy Gusten Empire’s report was true, since my kingdom had received a few warlords and knights from the east. They’d heard that our kingdom would provide military ranks so long as they were powerful enough. They came all the way from their ruined nation to the far west, where my kingdom resided. They claimed that those nomads would come sooner or later, and they thirsted for revenge.
“I know that the Holy Gusten Empire’s reports aren’t a lie,” I said.
“But Anhalt must still be in the dark about it,” my minister replied.
“That kingdom is a bit strict and set in their ways when it comes to ranks. Fighters from the east can’t possibly find a foothold there. Naturally, mages and those with extraordinary abilities are exceptions to that rule.”
But I doubted that a single warlord resided in the kingdom of Anhalt. If the eastern warlords learned of Anhalt’s customs, they’d naturally flock to my nation. In any case, I had much to do.
“Now, shall I give this information to Anhalt or not?” I wondered. “Should I tell them that warlords from the east have entered my kingdom?”
“Do you think Anhalt is foolish enough to distrust the report of the Holy Gusten Empire?” my minister asked.
“No, I very much doubt that. At the end of the day, Queen Liesenlotte of Anhalt is a bright woman. She was capable enough to be compared with Reckenbell, who was of her generation.”
I was certain that they’d trust the empire’s report, but I suspected that reality hadn’t sunk in for them just yet. Unless Anhalt followed our ways and granted these warlords status solely on the basis of combat prowess, the kingdom would never receive the warlords’ warnings of the nomads’ power. Outsiders, no matter how competent, didn’t have the right to speak their minds in Anhalt.
Information, however, had to be distributed so that fairly capable people could understand it. Even if the leader of a nation understood the dire circumstances they faced, they couldn’t mobilize their nation alone. Such was how this world operated.
“Well, well… What should I do?” I pondered.
“As it stands, we’re currently not even sure if we should form a peace treaty with them,” the minister added.
“Indeed.”
What shall I do? I vocalized my hesitation. If those nomads formed a unified federation and attempted to attack Anhalt and Villendorf from the north, our kingdoms would have little choice but to cooperate. However, I knew that there was nothing more troublesome than an untrustworthy or weak ally. I possessed no familial ties with Anhalt either. Was it better for Villendorf to simply fight alone? Should we just invade Anhalt, rid ourselves of that distraction, and fight back as an even more powerful Villendorf? A lengthy silence settled in the room.
“Ultimately, all my decisions will rely on Faust von Polidoro,” I concluded.
“I suppose we’ve got no other choice,” the minister replied.
“I ought to simply wait.”
All I could do now was wait in this throne for Faust von Polidoro to appear in front of me. Only then could I use him as my crystal ball to examine the current state of Anhalt. Despite my conversations and ramblings, there was only one course of action to take.
“Queen Catalina,” my minister said. “I’d like to speak of something else.”
“And what would that be?” I asked.
“I believe it is high time that you find a husband, Your Majesty. We need you to produce a successor for our kingdom.”
That again? I’ve got no plans on having a child.
“My older sister is still alive,” I said. “She’s got a husband as well. Her child can become my successor.”
My minister was quiet for a short while before she opened her mouth. “She’s incompetent. Queen Catalina, your mother was a splendid queen. She truly was. But her husband and her eldest daughter were utterly worthless, and her second daughter is no better.”
“Do you believe so because she refused to duel me for the throne?”
I’d killed my eldest sister and my father with my own hands. My second-eldest sister, on the other hand, chose to live her life as an average person. She made no attempt to harass me either. My Minister of War shook her head.
“She’s simply incompetent. That’s all I can really say,” she said. “I cannot deny that my analysis is partly due to the fact that she surrendered in a duel against you for the throne in hopes of her life being spared. But I simply find her too inept to be the mother of the next Villendorf queen.”
“But her child may be more capable,” I countered. “They’ve all got the blood of Villendorf’s royal family flowing through their veins.”
“Perhaps, if you steal that child away and raise her well. Or…”
You’ll only accept that child if I do something like that? I refuse.
“I strictly refuse to do such a thing,” I replied. “I wouldn’t dream of involving myself in such a troublesome affair.”
“Then please at least give birth to a child,” the minister said. “I don’t mind if you don’t take a husband. You may give away your chastity to any page boy you wish.”
I fell silent. What a pain. This mindset was what had allowed me to stay single and a virgin at twenty-two years old. It was unusual for a woman to stay chaste for so long. Will I ever love a man? I doubt it. I very much do. Had Reckenbell been a man… No, that’s a silly fantasy. Ugh, everything just feels so empty. The person I cherished so dearly left this world. Reckenbell… I simply feel so miserable and otiose without you. I can’t help but feel that I’ve lost something so very important and vital to me. But what did I lose exactly?
What were you to me, Reckenbell?
“Ah…” I sighed.
I just felt so empty inside. The hoarse voice of the Minister of War no longer reached my ears. In this vacuous world, I sat upon this desolate throne as I waited for him. But why? Why did I await him so? Am I getting my hopes up for something to happen with the man who defeated Reckenbell? Am I hoping for something with Faust von Polidoro?
I closed my eyes and ignored the elderly woman’s nagging, choosing to rest for a short while on my throne. I prayed that I’d dream of my childhood memories that I spent with the late Reckenbell.