A Battle Unseen

[Doc]

Cliff Offices, Wilson Hill, Kaliburg, 2:30pm, April 4

The Empress entered the disused office that used to serve as the Personal Offices of the Emperor.  She was greeted by her new Chancellor of the Empire, Sir Michael Koenig, whom she had knighted only two months previous so he perform the duties of Chancellor of the Empire correctly.  Upon her entry, he snapped to his feet and bowed his head slightly as the Empress, who was in a tear moved effortlessly past him to the other side of the desk and sat down in the old leather chair that had belonged to her father.  The normally cluttered desk was bare, as all her work was in Eveari, where she usually was.  She had just returned from the National Assembly, where she had ordered assistance for Etxea and announced her new diplomatic initiative to Valruzia.

"What the absolute f--k was that?" she demanded without even inviting the Chancellor to be seated.

"Madame, that was the National Assembly," said the Chancellor with his head still bowed and his eyes still averted.

"My god, have they no sense of..." she stopped short.  "Mr Koenig, why in the world are you still standing?"

"Your Imperial Majesty has not invited me to retake my seat," he said in a low, humble voice that was not accusatory, but merely reminding her of the protocol.  The Chancellor was surprised at her:  Any other Ananto would not have even asked him why he remained on his feet.  He thought this question was a perfect demonstration of the new Empress' inexperience.  But he remained silent.

"Oh for Eliyon's sake, sit down, please..." she said in an exasperated tone.  The Chancellor retook his seat quickly and sat straight up.  His brief experience of this girl was that she was erratic and entitled--He had his job because she flew off the handle at his predecessor upon taking her throne for mentioning the cost of her dress to the press, so he was not sure how to approach her and was not comfortable around her.  "She's rough," he thought.  "So rough perhaps that it might take more polish than there is in the world to work out her edges."

"Well?" she said.

After a pause, the Chancellor asked "Well, what, Your Imperial Majesty?"

"Is the National Assembly always so unruly, or just when a girl stands in front of them?"

"No Madame," the Chancellor answered honestly.  He may be in his early 30s, but he had served for two terms as a Deputy, and he said he had never seen them do that.  "The debates on the floor can be heated, but this was out of the ordinary."

"Then why do you think they would do that to us?"

The Chancellor paused a moment.  Collecting his thoughts, he started, and then stopped again.  "Madame, I believe they are testing you.  They want to see what sort of ruler you will be."  The Empress sat back in her chair and sized up the Chancellor.

"You, Sir, are their leader.  How would they take it if we made an example of you?"

"With obvious deference to my own health and my political future, Your Imperial Majesty, I would appreciate it if you did not do that."

"And why not, Mr. Koenig?" the Empress demanded.

"Respectfully, I do not think making an example of me will have the effect you may think it will."

"No?" said the Empress.  "We think it will have exactly the effect that we seek.  It would send a message to your Caucus about the dangers of crossing us, especially in public like that."

"Madame, if I may caution a more moderate course instead, perhaps you give my Party Leadership the opportunity to attempt to discipline our members first.  The Institutional Party exists to do your bidding, and to give you advice that they think will be helpful in making decisions.  This doesn't mean that they will just go along with you, especially if they have genuine reservations.  I can give Your Imperial Majesty a majority for anything you want--You merely need to say the word and it is done.  But there will be opposition to policies that are genuinely unpopular, and some will voice that opposition, because when the decision is already made, the vote is merely a formality.  Once we get to 40 votes for anything, every other vote is a free vote:  79-0 is the same as 40-39..."

Fearing he had presumed too much, the Chancellor paused, and waited for a response from the Empress.  Seeing that she made no effort to interject, he continued, "These Deputies see themselves not as your drones, but their constituents' representatives to you.  That said, it is not my place to teach you civics--I offer this only as a gentle reminder that sometimes they may take a while to warm up to you, Your Imperial Majesty.  It is a new experience for you, and you are a new experience for them."

The Empress considered the Chancellor's words.  She realized that the Chancellor had placed his own neck on the chopping block in speaking up just now, and was prepared to allow her to swing her axe if she intended.  And yet, he sounded a lot like her aunt in that moment--Lady Michelle may have said the same thing.  She would not chop off his head this time.

"Mr. Koenig," she began after a deep breath.  "We will have that aid to Etxea one way or another, and it is your charge to see to it, and to go beyond what even we sought on the Floor.  But as you see, our Aunt has returned to Dulnerstaad, as we agreed.  She served as our mentor, but we could no longer justifiably detain her once her formal service to us was completed.  Would you be willing to travel to Eveari when your session is over and talk with us for a while about the members of your Party?  There is so much that was left undone when our father passed before his time, and we are daily learning just how much we do not know.  If you could prepare for us a brief about the factions in the Institutional Party that will help us the next time we go before them to speak, and perhaps advise us on how to avoid this sort of performance in the future, we would be appreciative."

"You may count on me, Your Imperial Majesty."

"And we shall add:  Discipline your Party," the Empress added.  "There is Protocol and there is Lese-Majestie.  Whether it is warranted or not, we ought not have to tolerate such blatant disrespect and lack of decorum.  Our youth and our inexperience does not trump our Title, and if not our person, we will have the Crown respected and deferred to on all occasions, even in disagreement, and by even the highest potentate in Terra.  Our every utterance is law, and as such, there are consequences that must be paid.  If we ought not make an example of you, but instead shall allow you to continue to serve us, we hope that you make this fact unmistakably clear to your members."

The Chancellor's mouth went dry.  The Empress was correct to feel disrespected.  And the Chancellor understood her to mean that she intended him to mete out the consequences for that disrespect, since he had opted to not take those consequences himself.  After all, the unspoken message was that she held him personally responsible for the behavior of the Institutional Party members during the speech on the floor of the National Assembly, and though it was not planned, failure to whip the Party's members was a failure to do one of the basic jobs of a Party Leader.

"I understand and will comply, Dread Mistress."

"We shall then look for your arrival in Eveari."

"Thank you Madame.  I will arrive tomorrow by noon."

"Very well, Sir.  Look to your work.  You may go now."  Chancellor of the Empire Koenig rose, bowed his head slightly and backed away from the desk, closing the door behind him.  His day had just gotten significantly longer, and he would be losing several Party members before the day was over.