Chapter 9
The soft music of the orchestra in the garden filtered into the meeting room as the Queen's garden party started. The room, however, held a tension that you could cut with a knife.
"I've got scones!" Gobber announced as he entered followed by several maids holding trays of food and drink. "Why tha ladies have to have all the fun is a mystery to me!" Hiccup's godfather laughed.
'It seemed that the tension in the room could either be cut with a knife or Gobber wielding scones,' Hiccup mused. He was seated to the left of his father while Gobber took a seat on the right. The maids were pouring tea or coffee for all other guests in the room as well before leaving. There weren't many people here. Heather was present along with Mala who wore a black mask that obscured her features. To this day no one knew but the Royal family knew that the cook was the spymaster of the kingdom. Also present was the Minister of Interior affairs, Alvin the Treacherous, and his close aide Savage.
"Why isn't Duke Jorgenson here? Isn't he the Minister of External affairs or did I miss a job change?" Alvin asked bluntly as he gingerly picked up a scone. The burly man had a sweet tooth that he wouldn't admit to.
"Straight to the point I see," Stoick muttered. "He's the reason I've actually called you here. We have several issues to deal with."
There was a knock on the door and Stoick bellowed enter. When the door opened the group saw a blonde woman with twin braids enter. "Forgive me for being tardy your Majesty. I had an idiot brother and wild chicken to subdue." Stoick nodded and indicated for her to take the seat next to Heather.
"Now that we're all here we can proceed." The King stated as he folded his hands on the mahogany table. "The first thing is the position of Duke Jorgenson. My wife has expressed some concern over his continued involvement with royal affairs. It seems she has uncovered something suspicious."
"We can't dismiss Jorgenson on your wife's suspicions alone," Alvin stated. "There has to be reasonable proof of suspicion."
"I know and I told her that but she seemed adamant. So adamant in fact that she invited Marchioness Stormheart to today's party." Stoick stated.
"Welp, that's gonna open a can of worms," Gobber muttered. "If she invited Stormheart she's dead serious."
"I think I might know," Heather piped up. "The Queen asked me if she could borrow a few of my knights. The only reports they were able to give me were that they were ordered to intercept and copy several messages from Duke Jorgenson."
"So mom might have all the proof she needs but is keeping it quiet?" Hiccup frowned. "Why? I don't want to think that uncle Spitelout is up to anything but….."
"It's because there's a bigger fish," Mala now said in a tone that would be hard to identify her voice. "If Queen Valka is playing her cards close to her chest then that means that there is a bigger player and Duke Jorgenson is merely a pawn."
"But why can't she just tell meeeeee!" Stoick whined as his head hit the table.
"Well dad… maybe it's because you'd act rashly?" Hiccup supplied. "You know how mom is."
"Aye Stoick. Remember the Count Mildew incident," Gobber chimed in. "Yer wife had the perfect plan to trap him for all the illegal smuggling and embezzlement. She told you and you went ballistic."
"He was one of my most trusted Ministers Gobber!" Stoick defended.
"Didn't mean ya had to summon the whole Knight regiment to arrest him," Gobber actually rolled his eyes. "Ya slept on the couch for 2 months because the evidence then was only circumstantial. Boy was she furious at ya."
Stoick glared at Gobber who just happily sipped his tea. "Anyway, what I'm saying is let the Queen handle your brother. She's way more sneaky."
Stoick grumbled but even he had to admit that he tended to react rashly when faced with betrayal. His wife was much more cool headed and her retribution was just as sweet.
"There is another matter I called you all here for," Stoick said as he let the previous subject drop for the moment. He picked up a document and then looked at Alvin. "Is this true?"
"Aye," Alvin nodded. "There have been reports of merchant and military ships being infected with a new type of sickness. We can't seem to find the source so that was why I asked for Dr. Thornston to join us."
"Your Majesty," Ruffnut nodded and then spoke. "This new disease is…. Strange."
"You can't find a cure for it?" Stoick asked with concern.
"A cure is possible but the reason I say this is because there are actually two types of the same disease." Ruffnut elaborated. "I was allowed to quarantine all sick sailors and what I found was astonishing."
"Two?!" Alvin's brows shot up. Those in attendance were also now looking at the doctor with shock.
"Yes, at first I thought it was all the same virus but the ships from the North carry a strain of lesser potency than those coming from the South." Ruffnut stated. "The disease coming from the north is easily treatable as the Northern kingdoms have dealt with it before but that treatment does not seem to be working fully on the sick coming from the south. We would need to develop another treatment method for the southern version of the disease."
"How long would that take?" Stoick asked.
"I'm unsure. It could be days, it could be weeks. We just don't know which method is most effective yet." Ruffnut answered.
"Is there a possibility of a plague breaking out?" Hiccup asked the one question everyone was scared to ask. The reality of that happening would be catastrophic. Not only to the people of the kingdom but also to the trade infrastructure in place.
"So far, thanks to the Minister of Interior, all incoming ships go through a quarantine screening." Ruffnut explained. "Though we cannot rule out that the disease might be carried by someone entering the kingdom through illegal means."
"Closing down our borders won't help either. If we do not get the traded goods in then the economy will collapse. If we do and the sickness spreads then the lives of our people are in danger." Stoick grumbled.
"Wouldn't the kingdoms to the south have a cure?" Heather asked. "The ambassadors should be arriving within a few days. Surely they might have seen this sickness before."
Ruffnut was quiet for a while as Stoick was thinking on the matter of the ambassadors. It might be safer the King thought if they didn't allow entry into the Kingdom while this matter was going on. However, doing that, it would possibly hinder future trade negotiations as well.
"Two strains of the same sickness, both appearing at the same time from areas so far apart." Ruffnut uttered. "The odds of that happening naturally…."
"You're saying that this can't be natural?" Stoick questioned.
"Your Majesty, I'm saying that, if this is but a coincidence then the stars have it out for Berk. If it is not then something much more sinister is at play." Ruffnut stated causing the room to fall silent.
Meanwhile, in the Royal gardens the party was well underway. The Queen had lost track of both Astrid and Camicazi but she supposed they couldn't get into too much trouble. She had made her rounds and spotted Nikora near the cordoned off part of the botanical garden. Valka mused that she could slip away for a bit.
When she approached Nikora she heard the woman say "I was wondering when you'd get here."
"How do you always do that?" Valka muttered. She had yet to successfully sneak up on her friend. Both she and Nikora linked arms as they walked into the cordoned off part of the garden.
When they were far enough away from the party that the music couldn't reach them Valka asked "How's it with your husband?"
"Pretty much the same," Nikora said as they passed a small stream. "He's yet to touch me but he's being discreet about his affairs. Lately he's been doting on a popular singer in the gentlemen's only club."
"And how's your sister?" Valka then asked. Of course she knew the man Nikora had married. He was being pressured so badly by his family to marry since he was already past 30. So she had introduced the two since she knew neither had wanted to sleep with each other. Nikora's husband was also more than happy to let her do the job of Minister of the Naval forces.
"Eir is doing fine. She is expecting her second child this winter. I've already named her firstborn my heir." Nikora spoke fondly. The two sisters had been all that was left of the household after the Pirate Drago had attacked some years ago.
"So you never plan on having a child?" Valka asked.
"You know why," Nikora answered. "My heart will belong to you alone even if nothing comes of it."
"You knew I wouldn't have minded. There is no law against it in this kingdom. Why did you wait to confess until after I got married?" Valka now frowned. She never did get a concrete answer out of Nikora.
"Because…." There was a sigh. "I saw how happy you could be." Nikora muttered. "I was there passing by the gazebo when Prince Stoick proposed to you. Both of us might have been in the running as a candidate for Queen but we both knew you would win." She stated. "I had already told the Prince of my persuasion early on. There would have never been any romance between us. Imagine the Prince's face when I told him I had fallen for his other fiance candidate instead of him."
"He promised you the world Valka. He promised you love, happiness, a family of your own. I chose to step aside willingly." Nikora said somewhat sadly. "With the way things were in my family at that point, I could promise you none of that. I'm actually happy with what we have right now. Even if this is just platonic. I wouldn't trade my friendship with you for the world."
"Even if I were to ask you something that might be near impossible?" Valka queried.
"Always," Nikora winked and smiled.
AN: More palace intrigue. I, like the rest of you have lost grip of the plot. I'm winging it to see where it will go. Also CAN SOMEONE HELP ME FIND THE ZIPPER TO MY CACTUS COSTUME?! (Is stuck in it)