Seeds of Retribution I

Posted on Mon Dec 5th, 2022 @ 8:41pm by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 7:16pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Rio de Jinero Palace
Timeline: Date 2371-07-11 at 2330
2928 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The Emperor's Office in the Rio de Janeiro Palace was much less grand than the one in Rome, yet still had an unmistakable and timeless elegance. Dark wood paneling lined the room with marble accents and gilded edges. The sconces on the wall were gold, and the same pattern continued on the fireplace behind the Emperor's desk. The desk itself, which was made of the same wood, marble, and gold, was more a half-circle than a rectangle, and a high-backed white leather chair sat behind it.

The first person to arrive at the Emperor's summons was Nadiya Singh. As the Court Chamberlain, she was the officer in charge of the entire Imperial Household and its staff and was the senior administrator of the Court. While she held no government position, her post gave her expertise, knowledge, relationships, and access to the Crown and participants in court life. Everything from the royal purse to the appointment of senior aides was under her care, and more than anyone else, she had say over when a royal came and went, and in what car. For years, she had been Antonius' organized left hand, and she managed the court like a stern mother. Being called to emergency meetings was a normal part of her work, and since she lived wherever the Emperor lived, she was always first. She slid her finger across the marble desk and looked at it, testing for dirt or greasy residue; always aimed at perfection.

The next to enter through the double doors was the tall and lanky intellectual, the greying Imperial Chancellor. He was bent over as usual, staring down at a tablet and reading intently. He wore a brown suit that made him look like a professor rather than the second-most powerful man in the Empire. His job was to run the Imperial bureaucracy and lead the Emperor's government. As head of the Secretariat, he ensured that the whims of the Emperor and the Council of Lords were made reality and, unlike Nadiya and most everyone else at the top, he was no Lord nor was he related to one. He looked up at her, his expression curious and distracted.

"Well, if it were only me being called, I would say the matter was trivial, whatever it is." Nadiya said, looking at Dr. Ramsay. "But, if we're both here, the matter is at least serious."

"Let's see who else comes. That might give us the hint we need." he responded, giving a light grin, his eyes going back to his tablet. The Emperor was the Emperor, Nadiya was tough, but he was a mild thinker and was less worried about power than effectiveness. He made sure to maintain this perspective; it made him rare at court.

Striding down the hall with a sense of urgency came Silas Sharp, dressed in a smart dark grey suit and dark brown loafers. An unexpected summons for him was always unwelcome - it more often than not meant there was something wrong. Some threat that needed to be dealt with. He never shied from his duties of course, but there was a natural frustration that came with knowing the order that he brought had been destabilized in the slightest. As he turned the corner toward the office, he briefly hesitated in his step when he saw coming from the other direction was First Vice Chancellor Colleen White. Her being here only added confusion to the matter at hand. Still, he offered her a nod and when he was close enough he greeted in a gruff voice.

"Colleen."

"Silas."

Her greeting was much more pleasant, but Silas Sharp wasn't really a pleasant man; he was an efficient one. Colleen White was the youngest First Vice Chancellor since the position was created. It had earned many a raised brow and ire from the other Vice Chancellors who had been vying for the position that she had been specifically brought in to fill. She did not care. She was a lovely woman with golden blonde hair and hazel eyes; lovely, but not overly memorable. Her hair was pulled back into a tidy bun and she wore a simple dark navy long sleeved pencil dress that was belted with a modest gold belt. Her heels clicked on the floor and she stopped in front of the office door just as Silas did as well. He politely opened the door and she stepped inside.

Immediately she frowned seeing who else was in the office, but stepped aside to let Silas enter. She greeted them with hesitation. "Good evening..."

"Nadiya, Richard." Silas greeted, his voice not quite as gruff as it had been with Colleen but still not overly friendly. "This is... quite a group."

“Oh, hells.” Richard said, logging off of his tablet and setting it down on the desk next to him. He seemed tired and, for some reason, on the verge of tears. At first, when he entered his power behind Antonius, people thought he was too weak to last, but they had been wrong. Most were used to his morose and depressive manner by now, and wouldn’t think anything of it. “Who could know what it is.”

He turned to his First Vice Chancellor, particularly intrigued to see her here.

“And what the devil are you doing in here?”

"I was sent a summons." Colleen replied, frowning slightly as her own confusion deepened. "I wasn't given any information, just to be here at this time." She noted the watery look in Richard's eyes but thought nothing of it; if the tears actually started falling that might be cause for more attention.

“Oh, well, that’s great.” Richard said dismissively as he turned around to look at Nadiya again. “My best guess, he wants someone killed in a palace and he wants everyone to think it’s a good thing.”

Nadiya smiled and stepped forward, placing a hand on Richard’s shoulder and tapping.

“Funny, but I try to avoid murders at Court. It’s bad for politics.”

"This probably has something to do with Giuseppe or that wife of his. I'd bet crowns on it." Silas muttered and shook his head, folding his arms across his chest. He was not a physically formidable man, but his mind was certainly dangerous.

“I get the impression the Emperor wants to offer another carrot to Giuseppe, actually.” Nadiya challenged. She didn’t know the kind of Antonius perfectly as the man played things close to the chest, but she had her ideas based on his habits and actions so far.

“To what end? The boy is the laughing stock of the empire.” Silas pointed out in a tone that communicated that perhaps he was not as on board with what had been done to the former Crown Prince as most people were.

“He’s also very stubborn.” Said Richard meaningfully. “I’ve watched Giuseppe very closely the last seven years and he isn’t likely to go quietly. I think the Emperor is trying to avoid having to kill his son, if I’m honest. I can’t blame him.”

“He’s made himself very scarce lately at court. He comes only when required and for as long as required and people have started to notice.” Nadiya added.

"I'm still honestly astounded that people are surprised by any of that. Giuseppe was Crown Prince for seven years - not to mention third in line for thirty-six - and was just usurped by a fourteen year old boy after giving up his career to be closer to his father and on top of that made him a third rate lord." Silas pointed out with a slight scoff. It was completely distasteful in his opinion.

“I’m not surprised, Silas, nor do I think anyone else is surprised.” Nadiya said. “It would be terrible to be unseated like that, and we all know it. But I’m concerned, if Giuseppe doesn’t get his head screwed on right, and fast, Antonius is going to have you pop it off. This isn’t a game; it isn’t about one family.”

"If he didn't want to humiliate Giuseppe, he should have just killed him." Silas retorted and crossed his arms. "At least then he would have gone out without any sort of nonsense like this. It would have been kinder."

“Silas, be careful. You know more than anyone in this room that criticizing the Emperor is a dangerous hobby.” She said, cutting eyes at him from near the Emperor’s desk. She had no authority over Silas, nor did Richard, as the man reported directly to Antonius. She disliked that and, in her view, Silas was a bit too outspoken for his own good.

“Easy you two. Easy.” Richard said, stepping between them. He was tall but slight, yet his presence was still imposing. He wasn’t the kind of threat one saw coming, but they both knew how powerful he was and how much Antonius trusted him. He was his right hand after all. “We’re all here for the same reason, and it isn’t deciding what Antonius should or shouldn’t have done. Let’s just take a deep breath and be patient.”

For her part, Colleen had been standing quietly and unobtrusively to simply observe the interactions of her colleagues. It was often how she preferred to work, let the dogs bark at each other and observe. She looked to Richard when he spoke and gave a nod in agreement (not that anyone particularly cared) but continued to say nothing.

Silas just shook his head in response, but Richard did dissuade him from continuing to speak on the matter. "Whatever it is, it isn't good." He said finally.

The Emperor had come back to Rio directly from New York, his mind racing over what his eldest daughter had told him. Had his son really put his hands on her all those years ago, violating and abusing her? On the shuttle ride, he had gone back and forth between rage and sadness, and had hardly settled by the time he stepped through the doors of his office.

Giana had taken the ride back to Rio with her father in silence, letting him think while she busied herself with work. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but there was naturally a mild tension in the air. Cathartic conversation or not, it didn't fix a decade of bad blood between them. She followed him in that same silence all the way to his office, and stepped through behind him.

Antonius stepped to the middle of the gathering and turned his gaze to a comfortable brown chair by a large bookshelf on the far end of the room. There he gestured his hand, looking to Giana. He expected her to sit there quietly and she would know that.

Giana gave a respectful nod of her head to the gathered advisors and then bowed it slightly lower in acquiescence to her father. She moved over to the chair and took a seat, crossing her legs at the ankles and resting her hands folded on her knee.

Then he turned to his gathered servants with a heavy expression.

“What We am about to tell you will not leave this room. We know you already understand what that means, so We won’t burden you with a long explanation. We have just been to talk to Our daughter, to secure her signature on the documents necessary to secure the succession. While there, we…” he paused, faltering for just a moment as he looked for the right words. “We have a very honest discussion about things. She revealed to Us some facts that disturb Us greatly. Giuseppe, our son and former heir, was ill bred, ruthless, and cared little for important things. More than ever, We are sure We were right to be rid of him as heir, especially now that We know he once…abused Our daughter the way no one should be abused. This crime must be punished.”

The Emperor looked down for a split second, but then his eyes fell on each one of them. He was watching closely to see their reactions.

Giana too looked out to those gathered, curious to their reactions for her own reasons. While she was the most popular of the Imperial Family with the people of the Empire and even many of the young nobility, Giana knew she was by no means popular with the secretariat. They simply didn’t understand her lifestyle, and listening to years of their god pour out his frustration about her life certainly hadn’t help matters she was sure.

Silas looked skeptical, but waited patiently to hear what else was said. His eyes shifted briefly to Giana; the girl was vain and utterly self centered, but she wasn’t stupid. Had she seen some sort of opportunity in this? He looked back to Antonius, his brows raising just slightly as if he were asking if Antonius was sure.

Nadiya's mouth opened in surprise at the accusation from the Emperor, her eyes moving from the man himself to his daughter seated on the other side of the room. She and Giana had never gotten on, as was expected, but she certainly didn't think this was going on.

"Oh, gods, I can't believe it."

"That's terrible." Ramsay said, his face more neutral than the rest, his head inclined slightly. He maintained a quiet skepticism, but understood that now was hardly the time to challenge what the Emperor was saying.

"Yes, it is." The Emperor agreed with fire in his eyes that didn't quite reach his voice. "We have been handling Giuseppe Angelo with kid gloves, hoping to win him back to the side of reason. Now We see, at last, that there is no hope he will act as We wish and Our family...Our Empire is in danger." he paused then, his eyes moving between each of them. "It's time for us to bring him in...and seriously explore evidence that he has been planning rebellion against Us."

Antonius knew they were smart enough to connect the dots on how the statement from Giana related to his stated desire, but he also knew explicit orders would be needed from him for them to lay hands on the prince. For now, however, he awaited questions and thoughts.

Giana continued to simply sit, watch, and listen, but she could see the skepticism in all of them and even imagined she could see her father’s resolve waning. She curled her fingers a little tighter against themselves and said nothing. Perhaps this had all been a mistake in the end. What would it get her? She knew Paolo was against her and like their father he was unlikely to forgive. The moment he could, he would bring Elana into power and ruin her own life. Her thoughts drifted and she let out a soft but audible sigh.

Silas wanted to ask the question. It was quite clear in his dour expression and the now and then glances at the princess. He wanted to ask it. He needed to ask it, but he knew he couldn’t with her sitting there. How could they believe her? Giuseppe was perhaps a bit brash and not the most politically minded individual, but this? He didn’t believe it.

“There will still be pushback no matter what that we will need to be prepared to deal with.” Colleen finally spoke up. Her voice was soft but held authority to it. “Giuseppe is still quite popular among the military.”

“Then the question is, ultimately, what do people need to hear for that support to go away.” Richard said, his eyes falling on Giana. “Your Highness, your father said this information was for this room only…I’m curious what you think should be done about Giuseppe. How do you feel he should be dealt with?”

Giana hesitated and looked toward Antonius to see if he actually wanted her to speak since the deal was she would sit there quietly. When he gave his assent, she looked back to Richard and considered her answer.

"My brother... did terrible things to me for far too long in life. He abused me and those who were charged with me care failed me." Giana kept her voice even as she held Richard's gaze and then looked around the room. "I will have to live with the memories and scars of not only that, but the knowledge that because of those people, any good relationship with my father or siblings was destroyed."

Her eyes fell on Antonius and she frowned slightly. "Quite probably beyond repair."

She looked at Richard again. "I want him to pay for what he has done, but not if it is going to ruin me. While everyone cries sympathy over abuse and... more... the victim is still seen as damaged and dirty. I can't afford that."

“Not to mention, sir, it makes you look like a bad father to the common people.” Nadiya interjected. “They don’t understand about governesses and tutors, and they won’t see how this might have involved others besides the mother and father.”

“If the Princess doesn’t want to be seen as a victim, then what else can we do?” Richard asked.

“As We said, Giuseppe has likely been seeking a way to overturn Our recent decision, which We made in coordination with the Council of Lord. It is settled law, so that would be treason.”

TBC