Koenigsberg

Michael reveled in power the situation suddenly gave him. In just under a week, he became not just king's reasonable brother, but an actual authority in enormous amount of matters of state. Friedrich seemed to be suffering a nervous breakdown, and Michael made sure that fresh gossip made its way into his ears daily, as well as sustained this gossip. To make things better, princess Annie still refused to talk with people about this important day and still didn't want to see her father. In all honesty, Michael was horrified at how Friedrich mauled her before he came back to his senses, but after initial burst of terror, he couldn't say it was a bad thing - for him, at least. Moreover, the king's policy of keeping peace with Arendelle got compromised along with him, and Michael - who had been talking against it for a long time - got an additional burst of respect from people of Zisch.

The only downside to this situation was that some people, including duchess-consort Lisa, captain Braun and some of his subordinates, still looked at him suspiciously. It was not a matter of much worry to him, though - once the crown was on his head, he could simply "retire honorably" the captain, and who would expect the duchess to stay in the castle after such a change on the throne? Michael was actually starting to think - carefully, but still - that he might even accomplish his goal without killing Friedrich, which would be quite elegant, now wouldn't it?

All in all, he felt like whistling as he was walking down the corridor. He didn't of course - to outside eyes, he was loyal brother, serious, filling in for his incapacitated king, bent under the weight of his new responsibilities. He couldn't show his happiness to anybody, least they started to wonder if he actually wanted the position…

"Prince! Prince Michael!", he heard behind him. He turned to see one of the kingsguards he paid.

"Yes… Alwin, was it?"

"Yes, prince." The youth smiled. It was surprising how much goodwill one could get from simple things. "Captain Braun sends his regards and asks if you could come to his office. There is a matter that should be brought to your attention."

Michael felt a bit of surprise that Braun would share the news with him, but it died quickly. However much the man might dislike him, he still had his responsibilities and sharing important data with whoever was in charge was one of them. And everybody knew that it wasn't Friedrich who was in charge right now… or anymore.

"Of course. Lead the way, private."

"…afraid our problems on Westerguard are bigger than we've thought.", Braun said, showing Michael a couple of reports. The prince took them and looked briefly.

"Long story short?", he asked.

"A few pendulum companies report their ships not arriving in place on time."

"It's the Stormbringing Ocean, so it's not like anybody should be surprised."

"I guess the companies know the risk of crossing the Stormbringer better than we do, so if they decided to inform us about it, it's something different." Kingsguard's tone was slightly snappish, or maybe that was just Michael's imagination. "They also sent a couple of courier ships to Westerguard to check if they made it as far as there."

"And?"

"None of them came back."

Michael clenched his teeth, looking at the reports. Pretty much all that Braun said - no ships or information had come from Westerguard for ten days at least. It was as if a place turned into a maelstrom that sucked everything into it and didn't leave a sign.

"Hans.", he said, cursing again in his head. "It's got to be Hans."

"What I thought. And what I suggested to the king. He seemed to have taken it surprisingly calmly."

Michael raised his head from the papers and looked at Braun sharply.

"You've already talked to the king?"

"Yes, I did." Captain's stare was so neutral it could be called challenging. Come on, it said. Tell me I had no right.

The problem was, he had every right to talk with Friedrich before informing the prince about anything. It was his job to keep the king informed, and officially, his current conversation with Michael was more of a courtesy than responsibility of his.

Still, Michael would prefer that he could present Friedrich with his own version of events. He nodded.

"I'll talk with him as well.", he said and gave the papers back. "Keep me informed if there will be any new information."

"Of course, prince. Northern Wind should arrive by tomorrow. Perhaps they'll have some new information."

Or that gung-ho loyalist pain in the ass Ferdinand will get himself killed, Michael thought. Not such a bad outcome, really. He'd be among the ones to protest against Michael taking the throne.

Friedrich looked as if he aged twenty years over the past week. Michael would swear he saw grey hair. He didn't comment on them, though, as well as he didn't comment on his half-brother's obvious lack of sleep and a bottle of imperial vodka on the table. Judging by its state, though, Friedrich hadn't started drinking yet. Pity.

"So, I guess Braun told you about Westerguard problems?", the king asked, looking up from his glass. He was playing with it absentmindedly, sliding it from one hand to another on the polished table. With every slide, the glass was making awful noise comparable in painfulness with nails on the blackboard. Shee… Shee… Shee… Shee…Michael didn't say a thing about it, though, instead sitting by the table.

"Yes, he did. Seems to me like Hans isolated the island."

"Yes, so it seems." Friedrich nodded. Shee… Shee… "It would make sense, really. More than a quarter of our income comes from managing trade with Southernmost Lands. If he cut that off…"

Shee… Shee… Shee… Shee… He looked at Michael and something in his eyes forcefully reminded the prince that whatever vices his half-brother might possess, he certainly wasn't stupid when it came to ruling a country. Shee… Shee…

"We can't let that happen.", Friedrich said. "If he did take the island, we have to take it back before he consolidates himself on it."

"Ferdinand is on the way."

"With a grand total of one ship." Ferdinand shook his head. "Not enough."

Shee… Shee…

"So let's send a squadron. We've got semaphore contact with naval base on Meier. They can be out and on the way in two days."

"So they come to attack and Hans burns the port down, along with what's in it. No, I'd rather avoid it."

Shee… Shee… A genius idea sprung to Michael's mind.

"We need somebody high up to defuse the situation.", he said. "Somebody who could talk Hans down, and somebody with enough power and authority for his claims and words to be taken seriously, as the will of the Isles."

The so-called 'will of the Isles' was an old term that referred to king's right to decide what's best for his realm. Michael hoped that the allusion will subconsciously register with Friedrich and give him the right idea.

Shee… Shee… Shee… Shee… Michael couldn't stand the sound anymore. He plucked the glass from between Friedrich's hands and hid it behind the bottle. His half-brother blinked, then looked up.

"Sorry. Didn't realize I was doing it." He took a deep breath. "Michael… would you do this for me? Go to Westerguard, I mean?"

That's not what you were supposed to think!, Michael thought furiously, keeping his face civil and a bit surprised. You were supposed to jump at the idea and go there yourself!

"Me? I thought… I thought you'd rather do it. Leave Koenigsberg for a while…"

Friedrich's eyes drifted to the bottle again.

"I wish I could…", he said gloomily. "I can't, though. It's not like I don't trust you, mind. You've been doing excellent job and I'm really, really thankful. It's just that… it would be running away."

"No, why? Everybody would understand that you are needed to solve the problem…"

"In a perfect world, sure. It's not perfect world, though, and majority of people probably wouldn't understand how important it is. They'd call me coward who runs away… And I would be running away, whatever I could say out loud."

He looked up at Michael and the prince noticed his despair. Friedrich wanted to be gone. Anywhere, if only it was far away from Koenigsberg and his daughter. But… Michael knew when he saw a hopeless case. Friedrich was just plain not going to abandon what he considered his duty, whatever the circumstances. Father taught him too well.

"Alright", he said. "I'll do this."

Friedrich smiled.

"Thank you."

Michael shrugged, another plan forming in his head. I'll have to talk with my men, he thought. If all goes well, the court will be in tatters when I return and who knows - I might even be made a king by popular acclaim.

Not bad. Definitely not bad.

Captain Eduard Braun knocked on duchess Lisa's suite and a moment later, "come in" could be heard. He pressed the handle, looked around to see if there are any of Michael's lackeys around, and then entered.

"Your grace." He bowed after closing the door behind him. "You called for me?"

"Good afternoon, captain. Yes, I did, in fact. Take a sit, please."

Braun nodded and shoved himself a chair. The duchess was sitting on a sofa next to the door to princess' rooms, beautiful as always. It was a long-hidden secret of Eduard's that he was absolutely smitten with Lisa von Soor when she first arrived in Koenigsberg to marry the king - but so was everyone else, really. Even after twelve years and bearing a child, she still looked starling, but by now, Braun had gotten used to it. He now looked at the door.

"How is she?", he asked carefully. Duchess smiled sadly.

"Better, I think. She started to draw again, even though she still refuses to see anyone except for the doctor, her handmaiden and me."

"That's… well, that's good.", he said and returned to the duchess. "May I ask why you have summoned me?"

"Of course.", she sat upright, business-like. "Captain, I am inclined to think that prince Michael's involvement in recent events is… more than just passing."

Braun nodded slowly. In all honesty, he suspected that for some time already, although he was careful not to share his thoughts with anyone else. The duchess saw his agreement and continued.

"I guess, really, that he has been up to something for some time already." She winced. "Annaliese was looking like a cat that caught a mouse ever since Hans came back."

Braun was the one to wince this time. While in general people liked prince Michael, his wife was rather on the opposite end of the spectrum, what with her obsessive buying of horribly expensive luxuries and tendency to boss her servants - or anybody in range, really - around.

"You think she knows something?", he asked.

"Surely not all, Michael is not that stupid. Had he told her his entire plan, she'd probably boast about it the next day and state that she was the one to come up with it." Lisa shook her head. "No. It's something Michael has in mind and I have a bad feeling that he had something to do with…"

She looked at the door to Annie's room and her eyes were pure steel.

"If he did…", she growled with clenched teeth, "I'll personally gut the bastard and hang him from the window by his entrails."

Braun was taken aback by this statement. What worried him was that he actually could envision the duchess doing just that. He swallowed and she looked back at him. Her smile seemed oddly out of place.

"Sorry, captain. Didn't mean to vent my frustration out at you."

"Uhm… You didn't, your grace. I'm sorry to ask but… I believe that there is purpose for you telling me about your suspicions?"

"Yes, there is indeed." She nodded. "Captain, I want you to… take a closer look at Michael's actions. Investigate, to put it shortly, and find out what is it that he wants."

"The crown, I'd presume."

She waved her hand.

"Yes, that does seem obvious. I'd like to know what is his plan to get it, though."

"Of course, your grace. Ah… I have to notice, thought, that formally, investigation of a member of royal family must be accepted by the king…"

"You'll have it. I'll talk with Friedrich in the evening."

"…and the Judge General."

"That little paper-pusher?" She shook her head. "Ignore him. You'll be pardoned if he tries to arrest you."

Braun nodded slowly.

"Thank you, your grace. I'll do my best."

Going to his own quarters, he started to sort out what to do. Talking with the princess would be invaluable, but she didn't want to talk at all. He suspected few of his men to be working for Michael - although really, right now everyone was working for Michael, whether they wanted or not - but he couldn't really force them to confess and they could deny any accusations. No, he needed something else. A tangible proof.

But where could he find it?

Weste-Schleich Channel

"Well, sir… That doesn't look all too good to my eyes."

Understatement of the week, Anna thought, gripping the rail and looking at the dark gray storm front in the distance. She could already feel the strong wind that preceded it and she swallowed. That's how the storm that sunk ma and dad must have started, she thought. Dark, almost black mass of clouds, and blackness underneath it, sea looking as if it was boiling and the wind…

She turned to look at prince Ferdinand and his first officer. The latter had a spyglass pressed to his eye and seemed slightly worried. The prince, though, appeared to be calmness incarnate, even though she could see his fingers twitching slightly, as if they wanted to grab the rail.

"It's not really unexpected, seeing how we're on the edge of the Stormbringer.", he said. "We're too far from Schleich to get there before it hits, though."

"So, what do we do? Westerguard?"

It didn't seem like such a good idea. First of all, because the last semaphore message indicated that ships that stopped at Westerguard didn't leave. Second, because it was Hans' island and Anna doubted he wasn't connected to point one. And it was Hans. That alone should make them not stop at Westerguard.

"Not to the port", Ferdinand answered, "But if we get behind the landmass, we'll be at least partly shielded from the storm."

He turned and scanned his crew.

"Stretch the safety lines. Everybody in the harnesses. Prepare for the storm."

"Yes, sir.", the first officer said and started bellowing orders. Ferdinand looked at Anna and came to her, his fingers twitching again. He was nervous.

"Princess, I'd much appreciate if you'd go under the deck.", he said courteously. Even after his dinner apologies, he still distanced himself from her.

Anna shook her head. If the ship was overcome by waves, only those on board had any chance of survival…

"I'd rather stay here.", she answered. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"Princess, I must insist. The ship's deck in the middle of the storm is definitely not the safest place to be in. Not even close. You can be washed off the ship, you can slip and hit your head, safety line can break, mast can fall, sail can pin you to the ground, you might be tangled in loose line and waved around… If something happens and you'll be thrown overboard… Sorry, but there's just no way for us to pick up anybody in the middle of the storm. Sure, water is warmer here than to the north, but you'll die of exhaustion in matter of hours, and ocean storms can take days." He shook his head.
"Please, princess. Go below the deck. Somebody will give you safety harness and show you how to use it, but I'd rather you didn't have to."

Anna swallowed. Of course, all he said made sense… But what if ship crashed?

Well, Islanders are renowned for their navy, and it's not like Northern Wind's crew haven't seen a storm before… or so I hope, Anna thought, nodding.

"Alright. I'll go down."

"Thank you."

Westerguard

The rain started to rap on the walls and roofs of the keep shortly before evening, just after admiral Hauser entered the place. Seeing how quickly it turned into downpour, he was glad that he managed to postpone his meeting with quartermasters for tomorrow morning. In all honesty, it's not like they were desperate - there was always a plenty of fish around the island and Weste were more than happy to supply the garrison that gave them freedom, and the captured ships, especially pendulums, had more exotic goods aboard. One of them was supposed to be served on this dinner and Klaus Hauser was absolutely curious.

On his way, he passed - and paid honors to - the new flag of the Princedom of Westerguard, a two-headed, two-tailed fish in a yellow circle on blue background. The fish-abomination was apparently some important character in Weste beliefs, although every time Hauser saw it, he couldn't not think that it looked like two herrings that were fused together and now desperately tried to get as far away from each other as possible. On some flags their fishy expressions were hilarious, and they almost littered the island, forcing Hauser to exercise in controlling his face.

Finally he reached the room at the upper levels of the keep - the Prince's Keep, they called it now, although in their language, of course - where Victor Mousac made his quarters. Over the past month Hauser came to like short, stocky major, and it became a habit of them to eat dinner together at least twice a week. He knocked and entered.

"Southerners call it a 'kanga-roo'.", Mousac said, cutting a piece of the meat. With rain banging on the windows and wind howling outside, his voice - never too loud out of combat - was nearly impossible to hear and Hauser had to lean closer.

"Apparently it means 'jumping beast'.", Victor added.

"Really?" Hauser looked at the inoffensive piece of meat on his plate. "I wonder how it looks like in reality."

"I bet they have some pictures." Mousac shrugged and Hauser cut himself a piece of the thing.

"Not bad.", he murmured, chewing.

They didn't manage to finish before the door opened and the man in new uniform - with those terrible fish - jumped in and saluted, then started speaking Weste. Hauser's knowledge of the language was passable, but he understood the general message.

"Sir… admiral… we've got a ship approaching from the north."

"North?", Mousac asked in surprise, putting down his fork and standing up. Hauser followed suit, curious as well. They did capture some of the Islander ships, to the disgruntlement of their crews, but for one of them to come here in the storm?

"North, sir. And it's flying Navy banner."

Oh. Navy. Just great.

Hauser only managed to put a hood on when he jumped out on the battlements on Victor's heels. The gun crews saluted, then quickly returned to hiding under the roofs and observing the incoming vessel. Hauser leaned closer, covering his eyes.

"One of those new Hornisse-class frigates", he said, making out the distinctive shape in the rain. "Thirty two guns. It deals well with storms."

"I see. And it doesn't look like it's planning to enter the port.", Mousac noticed, looking through the spyglass. Hauser extended his hand and a moment later he had a better look. Hornisse it was, and a well-kept one at that. It wasn't leaning very strongly and it cut through the waves without much effort, as it was supposed to do. Hauser felt a pang of jealousy. Even if he hadn't taken part in Hans' plan, he'd never have a chance to swim one of those.

He couldn't quite see the people on deck, so he started to search for ship's name on the side. The silver paint with which it was painted served well and as it started to climb up on another wave, he could see…

He froze, then boiled inside, jealousy and rage stronger than ever. This… this bastard! How dare he show his face to him?! How dare he come here?!

"Klaus?", he heard a voice on his left. "What's wrong?"

He clenched his teeth and growled:

"Kill him. Kill him dead."