November 10, 8 ATC

City of Beis, Province of Apidaea, Oligarchy of Bumblebee

The group's arrival at the Diet came as an intense relief to Austin. The warm interior of the assembly building was a welcome respite from the cold autumn winds they had spent the last two weeks ferrying and then driving by carriage through. Besides that, there were so many people there, and though Kazehh and Jelo were good souls, the silent war of wills she was having with her employer had made everyone a bit tense. Some time outside that would be good for her.

Austin looked around the ornate foyer. Paintings and fancy drapings hung from nearly every square inch of the gold-painted walls. Kazehh and Jelo marveled alongside her while McDouggal produced three bags of silver from his pouch.

"Well, despite our differences, we made it this far alive, didn't we?" McDouggal asked in a rare moment of genuine calm. He handed each of his mercenary bodyguards a bag. "That's for the first half of the contract. You will receive the rest when we return to Milk and Cereal."

"Well," Kazehh said, tossing the bag up and down. "Talk about a payday. I don't think I've ever been paid so much before."

"Yes, and you can do whatever you please with it. Later." McDouggal turned his attention to a trio of black-cloaked figures standing near a window. "Right now, I must ask you not to leave the foyer. The other nobles wouldn't take very kindly to it."

"We won't, your benevolence," Jelo assured him, his eyes staying glued to the fat sack of silver he held in his hand.

"Come on guys," Austin said, beckoning them over to a table on the other side of the foyer. "We don't want to bother…" She trailed off, noticing someone familiar near the doorway. "Is that the Countess?"

Austin recognized the figure as the Countess of Armed and Ready, speaking with a diplomat from Villainia.

"Well, I'll be," Jelo said. Austin shushed him and nonchalantly listened in.

"Hello, Countess Jillian," the diplomat said, "How are you?"

The Countess, stone-faced, gestured toward her throat, then moved her hands in a "no" motion.

"Oh, dear. Your voice has gone? That's a shame. Will you not speak in the chamber, then?"

The Countess shook her head. Meanwhile, gears turned in Austin's mind.

"Ah, that is most disappointing. I was looking forward to hearing you tear Inferno a new one."

The diplomat laughed, and the Countess smiled. Austin made a quick decision. She got McDouggal's attention.

"Excuse me, sir," she said.

"That's the first time you've called me 'sir,'" he said, frowning. "What is it?"

"With your permission, I'd like to be released from my contract early."

"What?" Kazehh said. "Austin, what are you doing?"

"This is about your Countess, isn't it? I heard it, too." McDouggal said.

Austin nodded. "I know we've made an agreement, so I won't leave unless I have your permission."

McDouggal looked over Austin, as if sizing her up. "If I let you do this, you must forfeit your payment entirely. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes." Austin held out her bag of coins.

McDouggal took it back and sighed. "Do as you will, then," he said with a wave of his hand.

Austin's face lit up. "Thank you, your Highness!" she said. Without a second of delay, she took off in the Countess's direction.

McDouggal shook his head. "Oh, now it's 'your Highness?'" he muttered.

Austin found the Countess walking by herself. She had brought no escort, so Austin had no trouble approaching her. "My liege, may I have a word?" she asked.

The Countess recognized her immediately. She nodded and smiled, encouraging her to speak.

"My name is Austin, and I live in your lands. Perhaps you know of me?"

The Countess nodded dismissively and motioned with her hand, as if to say, Of course I know of you, what do you want to tell me?

"I overheard your conversation. I'd like to speak on your behalf in the Diet, to ensure Armed and Ready has a say."

The Countess's eyes widened.

"Hear me out," Austin continued. "You're against Inferno, right? I agree with you, as does any of your subjects. You're unable to speak, but Armed and Ready must have a voice in the coming debate. Please, for the good of your domain, allow me to speak on your behalf."

The Countess stood still for a moment. Then, with a look of resignation, she nodded.

"Excellent! Thank you, ma'am," Austin said. "Now, shall I accompany you?"

The Countess walked over to a set of ornate oak doors before turning to Austin and pointing to a grandfather clock behind her. The time was 10:40. The Diet was scheduled to start at eleven o'clock.

"Ah. Shall I join you when it's time for the Diet to begin?"

The Countess nodded.

"Very well," Austin said. "I'll see you then."

Austin wandered down the hallway, seeking to keep herself occupied. She could barely contain her excitement now, let alone wait another twenty agonizing minutes until she had her chance to shine on the political stage.

As she rounded a corner, she ran face-first into a diplomat from Guns N' Roses. The two cried out in surprise as they collapsed to the ground like sacks of potatoes.

"Oh, shit," Austin muttered to herself, clutching her nose.

"How embarrassing," the diplomat mumbled, and his aide helped him up. The diplomat shrugged him off, grabbed Austin's wrist and pulled her to her feet.

"I'm terribly sorry," Austin blurted out an embarrassed apology. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh, it's no problem," the diplomat laughed. "I should have been—"

The diplomat stopped suddenly as Austin looked at him. His aide, too, put on a surprised expression.

"Is something wrong?" Austin asked. She took an uneasy step backwards.

The diplomat snapped out of his stupor and shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no. Nothing's wrong. It's just that…" He turned to his aide, who nodded once at him. "You look familiar."

"Oh." Austin stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say. "Well, it's good to meet you. I'm Austin." She proudly stuck out her hand.

The diplomat chuckled at this, along with his aide. "It's nice to meet you, Austin," he said, shaking her hand. "I'm Prime Minister Nitesco, and this is Gwydion, my advisor and my chief engineer."

Austin's heartbeat accelerated, while Gwydion smiled politely at her and handed Nitesco his cane, which he had dropped on the ground.

Nitesco and Gwydion?

"It's nice to meet you," Austin stammered. "Sorry for running into you."

Gwydion laughed. "It's no problem at all. That's probably the best thing that's happened to him in years." He chuckled some more as Nitesco swung lightly at him with his cane.

"A pleasure to meet you, Austin. I hope to see you around." Nitesco smiled and bowed his head politely as he and Gwydion continued down the hallway, towards the assembly chamber. Austin walked away in the opposite direction, trying to look casual.

When they were a good distance away from her, Nitesco spoke quietly to Gwydion. "That was weird, right?"

"Weird how?"

"Her name was Austin. And she looked just like him."

"Well, she's a woman, and far younger. But I did notice a vague resemblance."

"Vague, huh? I suppose. But her eyes…" Nitesco sighed. "We have other matters to worry about. I can't let that distract me."

"Something bothering you?" Gwydion asked.

"Is something not bothering you?" Nitesco countered. "The Diet, Inferno, Coronam, everything is bothering me. I'm worried."

"Look at it this way; one way or another, we won't have to worry about the Diet much longer."

"Always a silver lining, isn't there?" Nitesco stopped in front of the doors to the assembly chamber.

"We're early," Gwydion said.

"Yeah, but I can't wait out here any longer."

Gwydion placed a hand on Nitesco's shoulder. "We'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," Nitesco said. "I have a bad feeling about this."

They entered the chamber.

Coronam sat alongside Opifexa in his position for the Diet, leaning forward with his head resting on his hand. He barely noticed the Guns N' Roses delegation's entry into the room; he was deep in his own thoughts.

"You're grinding your teeth," Opifexa said.

"Is that so?" Coronam answered without turning to look at her.

"It is. You need to relax."

"Relax? How am I supposed to relax?" Coronam demanded.

"At the very least, don't look so tense."

Coronam grumbled. "You try not to look tense. You're not the one trying to keep the Subreddit from becoming a dictatorship. For all its merits, diplomacy is a pain in the ass."

"You've done all you can," Opifexa said. "Just take these few minutes to collect yourself. You're going to do great."

Coronam sighed. "We can't lose this."

"We won't."

"How do you know?"

Opifexa smiled. "Because you never lose."

Coronam allowed himself to smile as well. "That's a dangerous thought to put in my head. But thank you."

Coronam leaned back and tried to prepare himself for what was to come.

"So, Jay, have you spied any potential assassins?"

"Assassins, ma'am?"

Inferno and Jay patrolled around the assembly, scouting for any undecided votes for them to bribe, blackmail, threaten, obligate, or persuade into voting for their side. Though with her spy network and the network of the Church of Thorns, she had accounted for nearly everybody, there were bound to be a few that fell through the cracks. Of course, she also needed to watch her own back, especially with Coronam on the prowl.

"Yes, assassins. They're the most likely way Coronam or his fellows will strike at us."

"With all due respect, my lady, assassins are the least of your problems."

Inferno glared at her bodyguard, but she kept her peace. As they arrived in the foyer, they were greeted with the sounds of tense discussion between Contramundi and Faker.

"Enough of your campaigning, Faker. Enabler will vote with Coronam, and nothing you can say or do will change Vinpap's mind."

"You had best watch your tongue, Contramundi. You may quickly find it brings you more trouble than it's worth."

"Gentlemen," Inferno interrupted, earning an irritated glare from Contramundi. "Is there a problem?"

"None that you haven't created, Inferno." Contramundi scoffed. "Your pathetic power play is at an end. My only regret is that we allowed it to drudge on this long."

"Don't jinx it, Contra," Faker smirked smugly at him, prompting an eye roll. "You can never reliably predict these things."

"Now, now, be civil, Faker," Inferno playfully admonished him. "Don't sink to his level."

Contramundi smirked. "Too late. I'm going to join Vinpap in the chamber. Feel free to come along. Or don't." He gave a quick, sardonic bow and walked away.

Inferno rolled her eyes. "Quite the man, isn't he?"

"You should try co-ruling with him. I'm lucky Vinpap keeps him on a tight leash."

"Have Anti and the Church members arrived yet?"

"Anti is in the back room, but Zissman and the others have yet to show."

As if on cue, the doors to the foyer opened and, to the surprise and suspicion of the politicians present, several members of the Church of Thorns made their appearance. A few diplomats murmured amongst themselves.

The Church? What are they doing here?

Are they going to stick their hands into our politics now?

This doesn't bode well for Coronam.

Zissman and Jannis quickly surveyed the room, spying Faker, Inferno and Jay on the other side of the foyer. With a few handshakes, polite smiles and nods, the Church delegation made its way over to Inferno.

"My lady," Zissman bowed in a show of reverence. "It has been quite some time." His voice dropped to a whisper. "How go the efforts?"

"Heroa is almost entirely mine. Though Junipera is beyond my sphere of influence, Villainia and Rubia have mostly sided with us, but I fear our victory will be a narrow one."

"Have no fear. The Goddess watches over us, does she not? She has delivered you to us, and so she will deliver the Subreddit to you. But of course, we mortals must take precautions." He paused. "Where is Anti?"

"In one of the conference rooms," Faker said. "She's making sure that we've accounted for everyone."

"It's always work with her," Zissman noted. "Very well. We have a bit before the Diet begins. Let's make sure we have everything in order."

"Let's," Inferno said, and she beckoned to Faker, who led them to a rather drab conference room, close enough to the assembly room that they could hear the congregating diplomats through the walls.

"Greetings, Anti," Inferno made their presence known. Anti, who was poring over a thick sheaf of papers, looked up and grinned. "Inferno. Today's the day, isn't it? Good news, I got the other barons to…" Upon seeing Jannis and Zissman, she trailed off.

"The Church is here?"

"Indeed, lassie," Jannis chuckled. "Surprised?"

"To be quite honest, yes. I didn't think you'd want to make yourselves known."

"But it will help the odds that Inferno can project her power even more, no?" Zissman smiled. "Even we like to make a dramatic entrance from time to time. Oh, and Doll says hello."

"Does she?" Anti smiled bashfully, and the tips of her ears turned red. "Nevermind that. I've made a ledger of every ruler here, and who they're voting for."

Inferno picked up the ledger and quickly scanned it before passing it to Jay. "Good work, Anti. And how does it look for us?"

"Very good, my lady. It's a lot easier to, ah, negotiate with other rulers when you can name-drop Queen Inferno. I will note, though, that there are a few we were unable to coerce or bribe over to our side, but luckily, Coronam hasn't either. We don't have a complete majority, but we are very close, so good rhetoric will will this day."

"Fantastic," Inferno said happily. "And what of Countess Jillian? Have you removed her from the field?"

"A lowly Countess?" Jannis asked, somewhat indignant. "What do you have to fear from her?"

"Countess Jillian V is renowned for her oratory skills, my friend," Faker spoke up. "She was the daughter of Queen Jillian IV of Bumblebee and her chancellor. When Celtic dethroned her family, she carved out a loyalist territory on the west riverbank, and she's ruled there ever since. If she convinced any unaligned ruler, it would be the end of our efforts."

"Luckily, we fixed that problem," Anti spoke up. "We didn't want to kill her: that would've raised too many eyebrows. But if she came down with an affliction that temporarily prevented her from speaking, well, it's a terrible coincidence." A devious grin made its way across her face. "And it gets better: she's allowed one of McDouggal's hired guards to speak on her behalf!"

Inferno's boisterous laugh bounded throughout the room. "A mercenary! She must be mad! Oh, all the better for us."

"Indeed," Jannis noted, "But I think we'd best be on our way. After all, the Diet should be starting in a few minutes." He pointed at the clock, and they all nodded.

"Well, see you in the assembly chamber then," Faker said, nodding, and he and Anti went off to join their delegations.

"Good luck," Zissman said to Inferno. "If all goes well, then the Subreddit will be yours without a drop of bloodshed."

"I certainly hope so, Scion." Inferno grinned in anticipation. "Jay, come along. We mustn't keep them waiting."

As they walked to the assembly chamber, Inferno continued laughing to herself. "A mercenary. Can you believe it, Jay?"

"All the better, ma'am. It lowers the bar for you considerably."

Inferno gave him another sharp glare but allowed her bodyguard his passive-aggressive remark. She dramatically flung open the doors of the assembly chambers, and with her entrance, the Diet finally began.