Disclaimer: Trinity Blood and its characters do not belong to me. This fanfic consists of monologues by the characters at their most alone. Not in chronological order. May contain spoilers for the anime. Rated for potential dark and mature themes.

Please note that I have only viewed the anime, so this is mainly my take on things. How much does Baybars know exactly about the Empress and the Head of the Secret Service?

Baybars: Yeniceri Captain

"Take him into custody and present him before me…" Her voice was calm and imperious. You want a translation? "If my precious grandson so much as gets a scratch, your head will roll." I know Mirka is still unsettled by the earlier intrusion into the palace. However, our Empress seemed to have expected the visitor. It took me a while to get used to calling her Empress back then given her girlish appearance. Appearances are deceiving. She has a good 900 years of being Empress to back her up. Nine centuries of keeping the peace in the Empire. It is no wonder this plot had come to her attention.

Only a select few of us in the inner circle are aware of her true appearance. The duchess of Moldova, who acts as her body double in public, me, the captain of her elite Yeniceri unit, and well… I guess that covers all of us. Only those who have proven their loyalty to her were allowed in on this secret. Even then, she may choose not to reveal her identity. Just as in the case of her Deputy Head of the Secret Service, the Duke of Tigris.

Suleyman used to be a decent chap, loyal to our Mother, but I suppose people change. Had she detected something in him back then that caused her to hold back from letting him in the secret? I am a poor judge of that, since I was trained in the military section of the Academy rather than the diplomatic section where Mirka and Suleyman hailed from. Also, they were at least 50 years my seniors. Mirka may be more attuned to her colleague's character, but they have grown distant recently.

My family has always been in the Yeniceri. Military life is simple, so I was told. You obey your orders, carry out your duties. No questions asked.

When I graduated, they never told me I'd have to dance to the tune of the likes of Mirka and our Mother. How can you protect someone who insists on running about town posing as a tea-seller and insisting on having no guards in the vicinity? Mirka acts the part of Empress to a tee whenever the need arises. Her orders are often far from simple, a slight change in the tone of her voice, a tapping of a finger on the armrest… I am expected to read her subtle hints. I have often mis-interpreted her intentions and find myself led on a merry dance down the garden path.

And yes, my friend, Mirka Fortuna is not someone you would cross. Have you ever encountered her in a rage? I had the misfortunate to experience one when I misunderstood Mirka's 'imperial command' and killed her Persian cat. I spent two months holed up in a certain little-used tower of the palace before she cooled down. Our Mother is more forgiving. In fact, she told me frankly that she found my earnest but often misguided attempts to obey Mirka's 'orders' amusing. After so many decades, I supposed I have gotten used to their ways.

My men are stoically enduring the bites of mosquitoes in the bushes outside the Moldova mansion. Not yet. I bid my time. We cannot make our move too soon. We are to wait for the given signal from Mirka's double inside. Ion Fortuna is totally ignorant of the part he is playing in this counter-plot. If startled, there was no telling how he may react. He may flee into more danger or try to challenge my men and get killed.

An explosion shatters the calm. It came from the mansion. Something had gone horribly wrong.

"Now!" I give the order. Rushing to the scene, we find the building going up in flaming inferno and standing a tad dazed, the count and two Terrans, one of whom I had seen earlier in the palace. Mirka's body double was not present. She was most likely killed by the blast or the fireball that followed. We hadn't expected a bomb to be involved. It was a near miracle how the trio escaped death or injury. Immediately, my men surrounded them.

"Count of Memphis, by the Empress' order, I am taking you into custody for treason and the death of the Duchess…" I shouted. "Come with us peacefully…" By the Empress' order, do not try to escape. Do not fight. Do not challenge me in front of my men.

My worst fears were confirmed when the young count turns to face me, his face a mask of outrage and grief. "You're accusing me of murdering my own grandmother?" I hear that razor-edge of anger in his voice.

"You have failed to report to the Empress on your return. That alone is sufficient evidence for treason!" I watch him carefully as I speak, hoping he would recollect his senses and surrender without a fight. The Terrans were bewildered and frightened by the sudden appearance of my men. The young girl tried to protest their innocence.

It was not working. The little moron actually drew his sword. Great, there goes peaceful arrest. He's too inexperienced to take me on. Heck, I doubt he could even take on any one of my fresh cadets.

Still, he has challenged me in front my men by his actions. I have no choice but to accept the challenge. Mirka will probably kill me if I hurt him too badly…

There is no contest. The flimsy sword he carried was mostly decorative. It shatters under mine. "You have to wait another hundred years before you can take me on," I growl. His stance was wrong, the manner he held his blade wrong… everything he did was wrong! What do they teach young ones these days in the Academy? During our time, you don't graduate unless you passed intermediate combat. Obviously, standards must have slipped when the last headmaster died.

"Now, prepare to die gracefully…" He is too stunned by his defeat to register my words or me raising my sword. I have no intention of killing him. At the last instant, I will smack him with the flat edge of my sword and render him unconscious. My men will take in the Terrans with no…

There is sudden flash of movement from taller Terran. "Close your eyes!"

A blinding flash and a loud bang follow. My men and I are stunned. When we regain our senses, the prisoners have fled. I catch a glimpse of the tall Terran running, his long ponytail flapping behind him like a white banner. The girl trots at his side. Ion is tucked under the taller Terran's arm. Obviously, his fellows do not trust he has regained his senses yet from his near-suicidal challenge. I have not touched him at all during the duel.

"Sir, shall we go after them?" one of my men asks. He glances around, blinking, as did his fellow yeniceri. I realize then that only I have had the good fortune of actually shielding my eyes from most of the blinding effects of that flash-bang grenade. Only I had witnessed their escape.

"No, we will return to the palace immediately to protect the Empress. We have no time to trip about back gardens!" I bark the command to return. Mirka probably has a back-up plan to fall back on.

Young man, we shall see how this merry dance turns out…

Author's Notes:

In the anime, Baybars' cryptic remark after he fails to arrest Ion also seems to suggest the whole business of the arrest may be an act. In the manga, Mirka (as Empress) does not wear a veil around Baybars when they are alone, which suggest he may be in on the charade (or maybe he really believes she's the Empress). In the manga, she also uses her pet kitty to stop Baybars from attacking Abel when Abel calls on the palace seeking his sister. Poor kitty.

There are differences in the appearance of Mirka and Seth in the manga and anime. The manga version of Mirka appears a lot younger than her anime counterpart. Manga version Seth is slightly older than her cutsie anime version and a lot more annoying to Ion too. Think making Ion do her groceries.