Gifts (2)

What Alicia and she were doing now reminded Daisy of little girls playing make-believe—“poof-poof princess,” “sparkle-sparkle princess,” praising each other.

But Alicia was talking soberly about a business that would raise the newly ennobled Daisy’s house.

“Lady… um, Alicia.”

By habit Daisy almost said “Lady Alicia.”

Alicia made a face like she’d just heard high treason.

It looked as if she’d been betrayed, so Daisy changed her wording.

Alicia, who had clearly been teasing Daisy, suddenly grew serious— and in a lowered voice said:

“It’s fine. Stay still.”

Right then, a window opened.

A figure swathed head to toe in black slipped in through the study’s third-floor casement.

“Lady Alicia.”

“Who are you?”

“My master sent me. An urgent dispatch from Baden. Yesterday Lady Josephina Lirin fought a duel with Gregory Barker.”

The masked operative, large as he was, made scarcely a sound.

Daisy had been startled by the intruder, but thanks to Alicia’s warning, she held her tongue.

“The result?”

Alicia’s tone stayed even.

“Gregory Barker was defeated. Not merely beaten—utterly routed. Lady Josephina destroyed both his knees so they can never be used again. Prognosis pending, but they say he is unlikely to walk. She also severed his right hand. Gregory Barker will never wield a sword again.”

At that, a quiet word escaped Alicia before she knew it.

“…What…”

She had known Gregory Barker was no great swordsman.

She had guessed that Josephina—reared in the love of the royals—was far better than rumor.

But the result was overwhelming.

“The Barker earldom has declared war on House Lirin. House Lirin has not yet issued a formal statement. The Imperial Household appears poised to declare neutrality.”

The operative bowed, concluding his report.

“What did Barker do right to declare a war? Still as shameless as ever. ‘I, Count of Echeveria and Lord of Luderne, Alicia Rosette Rain, support Lady Josephina of Lirin unconditionally.’ I’ll send a letter to Josephina shortly—spread the word among the nobles. I’ll leave Rain before evening.”

Alicia rose as she spoke to the operative.

“I’ll return with the next report in three hours. I’ll find you wherever you are. Any other orders?”

“See you then. Daisy, we’ll talk about your business later—pack for me.”

Alicia touched Daisy’s hand, which had frozen in shock.

“Yes, Alicia. I’ll have us ready to depart in twenty minutes. Shouldn’t we inform the lord?”

“We’ll tell him and go immediately.”

“I’ll escort you.”

When Daisy opened the study door and looked back, the operative was gone and the window sat primly shut.

Alicia burst into the lord’s office without ceremony.

“Brother, I’m going to Baden now! Ah—say you don’t know anything. Say it has nothing to do with you. Bye!”

Felix stared blankly as Alicia tossed off her words and breezed away.

“…What don’t I know?”

He asked too late; there was no one to answer.

From decision to departure, Alicia left the marquess’s house in under thirty minutes.

Two hours later she was out of Rain territory.

The next day, through Juan, Alicia sent letters to Reichardt and Josephina.

Before evening it was common knowledge that Alicia Rain would support Lady Josephina Lirin unconditionally.

Across the capital—and then the empire—camps formed around Barker and Lirin.

The Barker vassals and the Lirin vassals squared off.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Household and all royals proclaimed neutrality.

Alicia made for the imperial capital Baden with measured calm— neither dawdling nor rushing.

With the city just ahead, she even allowed herself a brief respite.

Once she crossed into the capital, there would be no time to look aside, so at the “last town and first town” she halted the carriage.

It was a short freedom before the decisive struggle.

“Forgive the intrusion upon your rest, Lady Alicia.”

A handmaid from the Empress’s palace—Debi—approached and bowed.

Alicia recognized the woman who often visited Luderne.

“It’s been a while.”

“There is someone who wishes to meet you, my lady. You must come alone. There isn’t much time.”

Debi dispensed with pleasantries.

“Alicia.”

Daisy tried to interpose herself between Debi and Alicia, already forming a speech in her head about propriety and protocol.

“Daisy, I’ll be fine. Shall we go?”

Alicia followed Debi without quibbling.

She had considered that a message might come from the Empress—or the Imperial House.

She trusted herself and judged Debi not the sort to bring a dangerous person, but she took a simple precaution:

“If there’s a commotion where I go—come.”

The words were for the captain of the guard, but in truth she meant Ren beside her.

For someone who had gone straight to the point, Debi walked unhurriedly, leading Alicia to a quiet villa.

“Forgive the discourtesy, my lady.”

“Think nothing of it.”

The villa stood on a low hill.

A well-tended pond.

The manor itself held a faint blue sheen and a refined air.

Was there such a place here? The door of the exquisitely built house opened.

“This way, please.”

Inside was yet more splendid.

A lush blue-green carpet seemed to gleam as if with polish.

Debi opened a white door and raised her voice.

“Countess of Echeveria, Mistress of Luderne—Lady Alicia Rain is here. My lady, pay respect. His Imperial Majesty.”

At Debi’s proclamation, Alicia stepped in slowly.

The round room was small.

Paintings ringed the walls; a high seat stood on one side.

“Your Imperial Majesty, I am honored.”

Awestruck, Alicia made her bow.

She had thought, since Debi came, that it might be the Empress.

It could have been some royal who could not openly send a messenger.

She had not expected the Emperor himself.

“Countess.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Alicia lowered her face deeply.

“Forgive me for calling you to such a humble place. We have much to say, but time is short—let us keep to what is necessary. What is your plan?”

The Emperor asked forthrightly for Alicia’s intentions.

The Imperial Household and the royals had declared neutrality.

It was the conclusion of the Imperial House—but in practice, the Emperor’s order.

“I beg pardon. I understand Your Majesty has declared neutrality. How does one who has taken a neutral stance ask about my plan?”

With childlike clarity, Alicia raised the obvious question.

“Countess. I chose neutrality. As the Emperor of the Empire, Leon III will remain neutral in a feud among nobles. Yet Leonhart Renat Luca supports the niece he loves. I trust that suffices as an answer. Now—your plan? I hope you did not declare unconditional support for Josephina across society without a plan.”

Though challenged to his face, the Emperor did not flick an eyelash.

He even smiled faintly.

“Your Majesty, I ask your indulgence for my dullness. From Rain to here, circumstances may have changed. I have not—”

Alicia started to feign ignorance again.

The Emperor waved a hand.

“House Lirin will declare war on the Barker earldom tonight. They will also proclaim the annulment of Josephina Lirin’s betrothal to Gregory Barker. The Imperial Household will allow Lirin and Barker to duel outside the imperial demesne. Even within the capital, provided no harm comes to civilians or property, we will permit knightly duels.”

He spoke swiftly of what he knew.

Alicia understood that the Household had set looser conditions than in the previous war between Rain and Barker.

Though the taste was bitter, she was relieved.

“Your Majesty, if Lady Josephina permits it, Luderne will protect her person. Should House Lirin come to guard her, Luderne will gladly receive them as well.”

Which meant the environs of Luderne would become a battlefield.

The Emperor’s beautiful face creased.

“Countess.”

Impertinently, Alicia refused to yield the floor.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Please allow me to finish. Luderne, by the lord’s order, has advised nearby villagers to take refuge within its walls. For houses with underground shelters, Luderne’s knights have personally inspected the defenses. For those whose identities could not be verified and thus could not enter Luderne, we issued temporary relocation stipends and living expenses so they might remain within Baden for a time. People are now gathered inside Luderne, and the surrounding area has been emptied. We have already collected anything that might be requisitioned by the enemy. That is the current status.”

Luderne’s war preparations were complete.

Even if pre-planned, the speed was remarkable.

“Good. Go on.”

The Emperor sounded as though in a council receiving a ministry report.

“The battle is planned for Galli Plain beside Luderne. Luderne will complete siege preparations before fighting begins.”

“What do you need for a siege?”

“All requisitions are secured.”

Alicia answered without a hitch.

After nodding until satisfied, the Emperor aired a complaint.

“Galli Plain? So nobles will brawl on my palace’s front lawn.”

With open dignity, Alicia answered the sovereign’s grumble.

“I beg Your Majesty’s pardon. But I expect no generosity from the Barker earldom—no sense of decency either. Even if Lirin’s line of battle grows long, their knights will comport themselves well for their lord and for Lady Josephina. If we fight near Lirin’s stronghold to shorten their front, Barker will run riot along the way.”

At her words, the Emperor nodded and gestured for her to continue.

“If Barker causes civilian harm while moving, Barker’s reputation will fall—but Lirin’s honor, as their opponent, will also be stained. Barker will aim for that and act all the more wantonly.”

In the past, Rain and Barker had fought near the Rain border.

The depredations of mercenaries hired by Barker back then had dragged the honor of House Rain—and Alicia herself—beyond repair.

The loss of knights pained her, but what gnawed at her most was hearing of innocents caught up and killed without knowing why.

“What do you estimate for both forces, Countess?”

“I beg pardon…”

The Emperor wrinkled his nose at her apology and spoke up.

“No, no—one can’t demand that much of a countess who just arrived at Baden. Barker has forty household knights and can draw twenty more from vassal and allied houses—so at least sixty knights. With ready cash he has retained five hundred foot mercenaries and aims to hire another five hundred. His existing private troops number no fewer than three to four hundred—call it roughly 1,500. Lirin may not use the navy—the Imperial Household forbids it.”