Ch. 16

Princess Septieme tried not to show it, but she was afraid. Without her major domo, she was truly alone now. Of course, she had her loyal entourage, but Jacques had been with her since she was born. He'd practically raised her in that tower. She couldn't figure it out. What made him turn so suddenly? She noted he seemed even more irritable than usual over the past months, his temper shorter, his steps slower. She had thought it was just because he was a crotchety old man who was nearing retirement.

It can't be that he hated me all along, she thought. I never would have been able to succeed for Cavelia without him!

His last words sounded so…petty, so tired, as though he wearied of wearing a mask or playing a game that had gone on for too long. Indeed, hadn't he called it a silly game? It made no sense.

Another part of the whole situation that bothered her was not that he'd actually struck her, but that she'd survived.

If he'd wanted me dead, I would be, she thought. I know that has to be true. So then…if his objective wasn't to kill me, what was it?

She realized with mild shock that the Divers had gone after everyone except her. No one even made an attempt. They had all gone after Section III. Even the ones who attacked Martis specifically targeted Martis, not because they were trying to get at her.

That means…I was never the target for the 906…then…does that mean Jacques wasn't working with them? What then was there to gain by knocking me out?

She relayed her thoughts to Alan as he was examined and patched up in the infirmary, eventually dismissing the nurse working on Alan's arm. He nodded and thought over his time with Jacques in the train. He agreed there was a good chance that Jacques was the reason the Divers who attacked knew where to go.

"It could be they killed him to keep him silent," he suggested.

Septieme almost started crying again, but shook her head. The time for tears would come later.

"There's only one person who might know all of the answers," she declared. "Let's go pay my dear brother a visit."

"Your Highness," Alan said, "what will you do? You know full well you are forbidden to visit any other tower, unless you declare an open war."

"Of course," she replied, "that's why we need a mediator."

Alan's eyes widened slowly. "You mean…?"

"Like Alice told me once, no one is above the law…not even my father. He won't expect me to come directly. The surprise attack is often the deadliest."

As they opened the door to leave the infirmary, two maids nearly crashed into them.

"Fools!" Alan said, looking at them both sternly, "What do you mean by racing through the hall like that? Is there a fire? Well? Speak up!"

"M-Mr. Alan…?"

"Sergeant-Major?"

"You…you knew all along?" Alice fumed. She had unsheathed her sword and was pointing it at Lady Kavi's back. "Do you realize that the attack on my subordinate and Her Highness may well have been avoided?"

"Perhaps, Lieutenant," Kavi said, her voice calm, "but highly unlikely. If you recall the events of the train and at the tower, neither occurrence had anything to do with Rodelians."

"What's your point?"

"If Section III is the target, then you would have been attacked no matter what. At least the tower skirmish was small and controlled. Who knows how big the 906 troop is, or how far they are willing to go out in the open with civvies walking about?"

"What about Jacques? Isn't he with them?"

Kavi sighed, turning around slowly, her hands up in surrender. "That's what Her Highness needs to confirm for me. I am about 98% sure he wasn't."

"Then why did he try to kill her?" Oreldo asked, looking around them. He saw shadowy figures surround them and shivered. No red goggles, though. He supposed that was a good thing.

"Oreldo, you've seen how Alan fights. It's the same for every Rodelian guardsman. If they want someone dead, they're going to go and do it. No hesitation, no fuss."

"Then…" Martis asked, "What was his intent?"

Kavi shrugged. "Kidnapping? That's the other bit I want Septieme to find out."

She turned to Alice, who was still seething. "Look, I wanted it to be this big surprise, that's all. You meeting each other on stage…I thought it might work. I was hoping the shock of it would translate well for the emotions we need in the play. Genuine, sincere emotions always make a story better! Plus-"

"I don't care about your play!" Alice said, glancing at the poster, stepping closer. "Where is he? This poster is two weeks old! Is he all right? Tell me! Where is Corporal Oland?"

Lady Kavi sighed. She made a quick motion with her hand and the shadows melted away again. Oreldo didn't know whether to sigh with relief or be even more apprehensive now that they were hidden. Kavi opened the wall in the gazebo and motioned them inside. Down and down they went. The gazebo was the roof of an enormous underground bunker.

"Plus," she said to Alice, "to finish my point, I was hoping the shock of it would also help him."

"Help him?" Alice said, "What do you mean? How would shocking him help him?"

"Well…you're not going to like it, but even though he's a great entertainer for the kids…ah, hell. It's best to just show you."

"How long has he been wrestling?" Oreldo asked.

"Later," Kavi said, "First we have to prepare for that riot!"

Everything inside Alan was screaming in outrage and dismay. Stecchin's eyes were open but they were red and watering. She was also quite pale and shaking from exhaustion. He wanted to avenge her.

"What happened?" Princess Septieme demanded. Stecchin quickly told them everything, Lucia nodding all along. When she was finished, Septieme and Alan looked at each other.

"This means it's still possible that Jacques had nothing to do with the 906 at all," Alan said. "How odd."

"How could Lord Taylor do this to his own betrothed?" Septieme asked to no one in particular. "And Dr. Steinenburg…how could he want to cause so much destruction?"

"What matters is that we get to my team as fast as possible!" Stecchin said. Alan gazed at her, admiring her sudden resolve. He squared his shoulders.

"Your Highness," he said, "we must meet with the king and soon. But let us first prepare ourselves as best we can, and that must include caring for the Sergeant-Major's eyes."

"Of course," Septieme agreed. "We can't go into battle if we're not at our best! They should have an eye-rinse in here. That should help."

"I'd ask why the doctor didn't think of that first," Stecchin muttered, "but I think I already know the answer."

Unbeknownst to them, the doctor in question was standing in a darkened corner, listening in. When they moved to the eye-rinse station, he stepped out quietly via the secret passageway to inform Lord Taylor.

When Lionel received the news, he bolted out of his chair and nearly broke down Stecchin's bedroom door. Finding Jean still unconscious on the bed, he strode to her, lifted her head off of the pillow, and broke her neck.

"Clean up this mess," he said to Steinenburg, "now." When the doctor gulped and hurried out of the room, Lionel looked at his hands.

"Is this…" he asked himself, "is this then, what it feels like to lose?"