[h3]Arkronia[/h3][hr]

"Well, now it's a party..." Senator Sessi Dren said, more to herself than anyone else, as Arkronian soldiers filled the room. 

"I suppose they could have killed us long ago if they wanted to?" One of her aides remarked, glancing about at the other delegations were whispering among themselves already. "What do you think happened?"

"Well, my guess is someone died. I doubt even the Arkronians are foolish enough to so inconvenience diplomatic parties without a very, very good reason, and I can't think of a better one. In fact, it is likely the only reason."

"Simple deduction." Said a third party member and a murmur of agreement went around the group. 

"Things are going to get very heated at home," Sessi continued to speak, though quietly enough that her colleagues had to lean in to listen. "With the Arkronians getting weaker, it will strengthen the Republican faction in the senate."

"Senator Bisner would never allow it. He may use the news to argue that we must strengthen our ties with the Crown and support them in their time of crisis." 

"He alone has been holding the Royalists together the last few years. Without him, the Royalists will likely collapse and resort to infighting as they always have. The Republicans won't even have to try and force them apart. At the end of the day, they're a bunch of old has-beens."

More soldiers were coming into the room and, despite the long history of Rhaetian and Arkronian friendship, Sessi couldn't help the queasy feeling building in her stomach. While Drokon-Al had given nothing away, the faces of the guards was enough. They said nothing but all of them seemed greyer than usual and she could see anxiety in their features. Something really bad had happened.

"I don't think this is just anyone who died. Look it the soldiers. They're trying to remain calm but you can feel the tension. Where is the Crown Prince?"

"You don't think...?" A gasp slipped out before it could be suppressed. 

"That he's sick or dead? Yes. He looked like shit when he excused himself earlier. Now he's not back and we're surrounded instead by nervous soldiers will slaughter us in an instant, with or without orders, I suspect. Just stay seated no matter what and follow my lead."

The other nodded and Sessi swallowed the panic she felt welling up in her throat. 


[h3]Rhungora[/h3][hr]

"Shit..." First Consul Kohu Dosit was staring down at the headless corpse of Senator Tul Bisner, oblivious to the nearly ankle deep blood that he stood in. 

At least sixty other bodies, including eleven attackers, were scattered throughout the Bisners villa. part of the building had been burned, whether by accident or by some plan on the part of the attackers, Dosit could not say for certain. 

"Shit." He said it again, louder this time, as he looked from Bisners body to the corridor opening onto the wall. It looked like a slaughter house. 

"All the attackers are Ruline." The voice was of Vigiles Abaward, one of the men charged with commanding the city watch. He spat to clear the taste of violent death from his mouth. "None of them marked, all wearing black with thin chainmail beneath. Same thing we've seen before." He was referring to several assassinations that had taken place four years ago when a rash of senators had been killed .

"It is not the same thing!" Dosit found himself snarling at the bigger Ruline - his red scales turning even darker as he vented his rage - stepping forward as the other retreated in shock. 

"The leader of arguably the most powerful faction in this Republic winds up dead, his head hacked off, even as we have a delegation in Arkronia, and you think its the same fucking thing!?" Dosits voice was a scream and the other flinched from spittle that spattered the front of his leather armour. 

"First Counsel, I only meant that it was the same type of attackers." Abaward protested, totally taken aback by the fury that broke over him.

"I know, I am sorry." Dosit cursed inwardly as he grappled to get control of himself. "But this is not the same thing. There are bigger works afoot here. We are teetered so precariously on the edge of war that we cannot have this sort of thing occurring."

Abaward nodded. He knew Senator Luunri Greanad would pay good money for whatever information he could glean from the First Counsel and so he shook his head. "No need to apoplogize, First Counsel. I am sure it is a stressful time."

"You have no idea." Dosit had pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, his eyes closed. "It'll be war with Canthor if we have any more weakening of the Royalists and there won't be a damn thing I can do about it. First Counsel or no."

He suddenly seemed to realize he was standing in blood and grimaced as he stepped onto dry stones, his sandals coming free with a wet plop. A thousand thoughts were whirling through his head and he could only hope that Sessi, enjoying her all expense paid trip to the Capital, was having a better time than he was. With any luck, and maybe a bit of help from the Gods, she would bring back good news thaty could help stabilize the political situation.


[h3]Eastern Rhaetia[/h3][hr]

"Bisner is dead." Greanad said with a smile as she leaned back in the hammock that hung outside her country villa. The ground here dropped off into a deep canyon and she hung perilously close to the edge. It excited her somehow, to be so close to death. 

No one else was around and she let the short note fall from her fingers so that it vanished into the canyon below. It had come in by messenger raven a few short minutes ago and already a feeling of excitement was welling up in her gut. 

There would not doubt be an investigation into her arch-rivals death but they would find her hands clean. She had simply whispered in three places that she sought his death. Others had done the deed to gain favour with her. It was perfect.

With Bisner dead, the Royalists would be unable to agree on a new leader. The only thing that gave them power anymore was their link to the Arkronian Crown, and everyone knew now of the plague. How widespread and fatal it was, no one really knew. Greanad would have to act carefully.

She took a deep breath, the smell of the deep stone valley below helped to centre her. She would have to call a session of the Senate quickly to continue destabilizing the Royalists. She almost felt bad for Dosit. The poor bastard had his work cut out for him.