Someone entered into the Court, slowly walking down the hall. One by one, the Senators turned to see the newcomer and fell silent. Eventually, they made their way before the Emperor, whose eyes went wide.

Consul Hibernius had returned to the Northern Court, for the first time since his daughter’s exile.

The Hibernius family had been shamed and insulted by that turn of events. Many whispered that they had fallen into decline, that the Consul’s health had taken a turn for the worse, or that he could not bear the shame. And yet…for all the rumors and the gossip, despite his total absence from that day forth, Consul Hibernius maintained his position as one of two Consuls in the court.

And that was because no one wanted to risk testing those allegations.

Whatever the current opinion on the Consul and his child, the truth was that the Hibernius family was powerful. They had a pedigree that went back to the days before Velus. They had distinguished records of service in the Senate, the Emperor’s advisers, and the Legion. They had contacts in both the Eastern and Southern Courts. And their strength went beyond authority and history. They maintained vast farms and countless businesses to their name, filling their coffers to the brim. They were the patrons of many of the elite craftsmen and artists of the day, controlling the flow of luxury goods considered vital by those of distinguished society. And they had a personal army of mercenaries, retired legionnaires who had served alongside them, and loyal recruits they had found and trained up on their own. They even had a knight order serving their family, one of the largest personal orders in the North.

It was a miracle…and perhaps a collusion by all three of the factions working together…that Aemilia Hiberna had been disgraced at all, and subjected to such harsh punishments.

So while many could disparage the Hibernius family’s latest misadventures, it would be foolish to discount their remaining strength. The family still had a great deal of weight they could throw around, and no one wanted to see them use it. So no one was willing to sign the scroll stripping Consul Hibernius of his position in the Court. No one wanted to see if he would come to take it back.

The factions couldn’t decide on a successor in any case. Consul Hibernius had been a neutral party, so any of their members taking his place would upset the balance, and would not be permitted by the other two. They ultimately agreed to let him hold the spot in the meantime.

And now…he was here. And the other Consul was not.

Everyone stood in silence as Consul Hibernius walked up before the Emperor, and then stood silently, glaring at the man. Emperor Lucius frowned, and then heaved a sigh.

It seems that Consul Hibernius had not, in fact, forgiven him.

It was standard Elteni practice for those of lower status to greet their patrons first, the Emperor most of all. Even if that Emperor was a figurehead.

Yet, Consul Hibernius said nothing, simply raising an eyebrow. Emperor Lucius took a deep breath.

“Welcome, Consul Hibernius. It is good to see you return.”

But Emperor Lucius had no choice. His hands were already tied by recent events, and his family had already greatly antagonized Consul Hibernius. He could not afford to fight the Consul on any hill the man chose to stand on.

The Consul nodded slightly and then turned to face the Senate, without sparing a word to the Emperor. He stood up straight, crossing his arms behind his back.

“Recent events have come to my attention that demand I return to my duties, not least of all the disappearance of my colleague. These latest events, including violence in the very heart of Corvanus, are deeply troubling.”

He looked around at each of the Senators, who waited for him to continue.

“But we are the Elteni Empire. We are the bastions of civilization, reason, and might. There is no need for us to flounder about in an unsightly manner, or to act solely on momentary passions. We have the time and the strength to act with dignity. And so we shall. The Queen of the Dobhar is an Amiciti Populi Elteni who has done great deeds on behalf of the Empire. Her alleged crimes pale in comparison to these things, and I do not believe she would have acted in this way without good reason. It would not do to treat her poorly based solely on appearances.”The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

One Senator, one of the youngest here, frowned and crossed his arms.

“Aren’t you just saying that because she helped that daughter of yours? Are you sure you aren’t the one acting on momentary passions, Consul? If all that is true, where have you been all this time?”

The room froze. Consul Hibernius glared at the speaker, and then started to chuckle with a low voice.

“Well said, Senator. You are correct.”

Consul Hibernius’s eyes narrowed and his gaze pierced into every person he turned it to.

“Let me be clear. NSLICE-00P, the Queen of the Dobhar, is a friend of the Hibernius family, perhaps the only friend we have had of late. If this Court intends to move against her, even for the destruction of a Consul’s villa, then I demand that a full investigation be conducted first, and only when I am satisfied that her guilt has been established without a shadow of a doubt will I permit any consequences to befall her.”

He glared at the speaker, who took a step back.

“Anyone who opposes me on this, I shall consider an enemy of the Hibernius family.”

He turned to glance at the Emperor.

“And from now on, the Hibernius family will not suffer its enemies to endure.”

The room fell silent. Aedile Hortensus rubbed his chin and nodded.

“It is our law by both word and precedent to fully investigate any incident involving a foreign sovereign, much less an allied one.”

The Court murmured at that. Consul Hibernius nodded at the Aedile and then turned to the Emperor.

“So, if there is no objection, I move to table this discussion until a full investigation can produce conclusive results.”

Emperor Lucius took a deep breath and nodded.

“Let it be so.”

Princess Caecila stood at the side of the room, watching the proceedings with wide eyes. She had been shocked by word of NSLICE-00P’s deeds, then frustrated at the Court’s reaction, then shocked again by Consul Hibernius’s return.

And now…she wasn’t sure what to feel. The Hibernius family was not a pleasant one for her to think about. She could still remember the night she was kidnapped, dreading her fate until Prince Octavianus had arrived to save her. She still shivered when she imagined being shipped off to the Empire of the Sun like Aemilia intended.

But on the other hand, Aemilia had paid for her crimes against Caecila, and their fight had brought the Northern Empire to its knees. And in hindsight, with all that she had learned of politics and maneuvering, she could see the foolish choices she had made that led to that fight boiling over. Both she and Aemilia had been used by the Hibernius family’s enemies, and now everyone was paying the price.

But most importantly, as of today Princess Caecila and Consul Hibernius found themselves on the same side, both pinning their hopes on the Queen of the Dobhar.

A small spark of hope grew within Princess Caecila’s heart. Perhaps…through their mutual alliance…this terrible feud could be brought to a close, and the broken North could start to heal?

The Court was just adjourning now, and Consul Hibernius marched out of the room. Princess Caecila took a deep breath, and then ran after him.

“Consul Hibernius!”

The Consul stopped, but did not turn around.

“…you are bold to approach me, I will acknowledge that.”

Princess Caecila gulped and then looked down.

“I…um…just wanted to apologize…”

“Hold your tongue.”

Consul Hibernius turned around and glared at Princess Caecila, who jumped and trembled at his gaze. Consul Hibernius crossed his arms.

“Are you willing to relinquish your position and your husband to my daughter?”

Princess Caecila frowned at that. Consul Hibernius scoffed.

“I thought not. Spare me your platitudes, Princess. The apology of the victor is hollow and insulting. If you have something to say to me, then out with it.”

Princess Caecila gulped again but managed to meet his gaze.

“It was not my intention to cause your daughter harm, and I do not wish to see the Empire fall because of my actions. What can I do to make things right?”

Consul Hibernius chuckled darkly.

“Make things right, you say?”

He scowled at her.

“Since you are speaking plainly I shall do the same. I will always hold you in contempt, Princess Caecila. Your youthful passions and blissful ignorance destroyed decades of planning and effort built upon generations of striving and sacrifice. You laid waste to the Hibernius family’s ultimate ambitions in the moment of our final triumph. And because of you, my only daughter was sent to the cold and barren frontier, to tremble at the mercy of savage barbarians, and I was not even permitted to send her a letter.”

Princess Caecila looked down at her feet. Consul Hibernius turned to leave.

“You can never make things right. But now that my ambitions have crumbled to dust, I have but one concern. And if someone proves themselves useful to my designs, then I will use them to the fullest, even if I must defer my retribution to do so.”

And with that, he continued on his way. Princess Caecila stared at the ground, clenching her fists. Fulcinia walked up behind her.

“Princess…”

Princess Caecila turned to face her, with narrow and focused eyes.

“Come Fulcinia, we have much to discuss. I believe we must speak with the Emperor…and maybe Aedile Hortensus too.”

Fulcinia blinked and tilted her head.

“Princess?”

Princess Caecila took a deep breath.

“You heard him, right? These wounds run deep and occurred in a battle I fully intended to win, it is arrogant and foolish of me to believe I can bring reconciliation with naught but pleasant words. If we wish to avoid having Consul Hibernius as our enemy, we must demonstrate our intentions through deeds. At the very least, we must make ourselves useful enough that he will not destroy us immediately.”

Princess Caecila closed her eyes.

“And…I think I know how to start.”