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“As I have reported, Admiral Margrave, Your Majesty, the wizard confirms that the automated cannonade has been successfully fired. The accident with the Stinger was, in all probability, the result of unexpected metal fatigue.” Admiral Knight set down the scroll she’d been reading from. “Unavoidable and unfortunate. Still, I feel personally responsible for this failure, sirs. I should have had things checked more thoroughly.”
“There is nothing you could have done, Admiral,” stated the emperor. “But the loss of Admiral Jorvan is unfortunate. Have the other fighters been checked to make sure they will not suffer the same fate?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. And they are cleared. With added precautions, the cannonade were test-fired via the magic engines without a problem.”
“Very good,” replied Emperor Edvin. His attention shifted. “Admiral Margrave, have you considered a replacement for your Supply and Procurement officer?”
“Your Majesty?” questioned Admiral Margrave.
“I presume, given that Admirals Rustic and Olang need to remain where they are, that you will be making Admiral Knight, here, your Chief of Staff,” remarked Emperor Edvin.
Aria had observed that Margrave had looked unwell in the week since returning from the Edvin’s Hammer. Aria knew that Jorvan had been his closest friend and ally. With his death, Admiral Margrave was nearly totally alone.
“To be honest, Your Majesty, I had not considered my options fully yet,” dodged Margrave. “It...would seem a shame at this juncture to move Admiral Knight to another post.”
“Have you any other in a position, such as hers, that you feel you could promote to the second-highest station in the Imperial Navy?” questioned the emperor.
Aria loved it when she had to put no effort into her machinations. Still, she didn’t want to back Margrave against a wall, either.
“Your Majesty,” Aria began, “The Imperial Navy has suffered a terrible loss. I think Admiral Margave needs time to grieve properly. The Navy will function perfectly well as it stands now.”
“Thank you, Admiral Knight,” replied Admiral Margrave with an appreciative tone. He looked towards the emperor. “I will see to this matter soon, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. But do not wait long,” commanded the emperor. “This has been a tragic situation, but as our war has intensified, it should not be allowed to interfere with ongoing operations. That is all. You are both dismissed.”
Aria and Margrave left the emperor’s throne room and went their separate ways.
Margrave would return via the underground tunnel to headquarters. Aria would remain at the palace, ostensibly to go over some things with regards to supply and procurement with the emperor.
But Edvin had become more and more enamored of his time with Aria Knight, so he had a nearly insatiable desire to take her at any opportunity.
It all played very much into Aria’s hands.
Now that she had access to the Imperial Palace, Aria was gleaning all kinds of knowledge and insights into the inner workings of the empire. Many things were coming to light. For example, the exact number of wizards in the emperor’s employ and the disbursement of funds and forces for both the navy and militia.
Aria understood how the emperor oversaw his duties, watched over and ruled his people, and she considered how to do it better. That was the way in which she had approached every aspect of her life through the years.
Observe. Learn. Improve.
Admiral Rustic and Commodore Orvin informed her that the Cromah fleet was almost completely decimated. She began to consider dispatching part of the Ealantic fleet to assist Olang’s new efforts in the Wesific. It would be a long, long voyage to get between the oceans. But Rustic was considering if it might be worth it.
Aria had begun the utter dominance of the Huscarn Empire at sea during her tenure as a commodore. There was no going back.
Admiral Margrave, she knew, still did not trust her. That came as no surprise. Her backing his unwillingness to promote her, she knew, had confused him in all the right ways.
It would not matter anyhow. Emperor Edvin was too enthralled by Aria to do anything but support any action she took. Even an old friend of his, such as Margrave, could not override the impact and influence Aria had when it came to Edvin Huscarn.
The only question she pondered, still, was what to do with the Imperial Navy High Commander. How could she persuade the emperor to retire him or find another way to eliminate him without arousing suspicion?
It was not that Aria held anything against Admiral Margrave – truth be told, she liked him. But he was the next obstacle to her continued advancement.
Aria knew an answer would present itself. They always did.
Soon she had reached the emperor’s bedchamber. The guards recognized her and did not stop her from entering. She went in and debated how to present herself to Edvin.
Aria grinned to herself. The emperor was a decent lover. He gave her more than adequate pleasure. She led him to believe that he had her under his spell. Yet she knew full well that precisely the opposite was the truth.