November 15, 8 ATC

Castle Inferno, Duchy of Pollination, Pollination-Crosshares Commonwealth

"So, let's examine this together, shall we?" Inferno spoke coolly, but this belied the intense displeasure that all present could feel in the air around her.

"You told me that the number of soldiers in the city that you either have under your direct command or have bribed is vastly greater than what Contramundi has, correct?"

"Yes, Inferno. That is correct." Faker said. Next to Inferno, Jay shifted uneasily, knowing from experience how his liege preferred to get under her victim's skin rather than yell or scream when angered. Even more so, he knew how good she was at it. Inferno steepled her fingers and inhaled.

"It's Queen Inferno, mind you," she said, oozing superiority. Jannis rolled his eyes and let out a quiet huff. He had seen so many of these self-aggrandizing nobles since journeying to the Subreddit. It was enough to make him sick.

"But I digress. You told me that your soldiers could take the city within a few hours from the inside, and that my soldiers would only be there to prevent anyone from escaping." Zissman knit his fingers as Inferno continued. She was an adept manipulator and a proficient administrator, but her interpersonal skills were lacking, to say the least. Perhaps she would have to be replaced after all.

"I waited until the soldiers arrived," Faker tried to explain. "Just in case things—"

"And now you come crawling back to me to tell me that not only has the city been lost, but out of the three thousand men I sent to secure it, two hundred and seventy-six returned. Even a simpleton like you should know that is not a good ratio." Anti bit her nails in the corner. She had seen clients like Inferno in the past, belligerent and rude. In the long run, things never turned out well for them.

"Contramundi had help," Faker said. Inferno stopped just as she was about to get going again and instead leaned forward. She ground her teeth together and balled her hands into a fist, already knowing the answer to the question she was going to ask.

"From who?"

Faker swallowed as a bead of sweat fled down his neck. "Coronam."

Inferno blew air out her nose. Of course it was Coronam. Of course he had to stick his fat, oafish hands into her business. Her victory. It was inevitable that he would, given how he stormed out of the Diet with half the Subreddit behind him, but the fact that he had struck so soon and so soundly brought out a frustration that was difficult for her to contain.

But she wasn't Coronam, she reminded herself. When she suffered a setback or an upset, she did not scream or hit or make graphic threats of bodily harm. She sat back and plotted her revenge. That was what separated her from brutes like him.

"Were there any others besides him?" She asked, her displeasure giving way to an odd sort of resignation.

"Yes, there were. Nitesco and Gwydion were there, along with the whelp from the Diet."

Inferno leaned back in her chair and considered the situation. Of the four regions of the Subreddit, Rubia would be the most hotly contested. If Coronam inspired another Great Revolt, it would be necessary for her to hold the region. Though with Faker ousted, she had lost her most secure foothold in the most vital region of the war, and if Guns N' Roses turned against her, her hold would grow even more tenuous.

"Did you at least rid us of Vinpap and Contramundi?"

Faker swallowed. "I killed Vinpap, and I managed to stab Contramundi before I was forced to flee." He paused uneasily. "The wound might not have been fatal."

Inferno let out a small sound of disgust. "Of course the most meddlesome one is left alive. You may all leave. I must think on this."

Faker grunted and left quickly, followed by Anti, who gave a polite nod as she left. Jannis and Zissman, however, stayed behind.

Inferno groaned. "Do you have nothing better to do than look at me? I'm flattered, but I'm not in the mood."

"You should be more considerate to your subjects, Inferno," Zissman gently chided her. "It does not befit a good ruler to breed contempt so readily."

"He failed. Spectacularly," Inferno shot back. "I gave him complete control of this operation, and what does he do? He comes back with the city lost and my armies decimated, and the only thing he has to show for this tremendous cost is Vinpap dead and Contramundi wounded."

"Faker could not have known that Coronam would arrive," Zissman countered. "We cannot punish him for falling to threats he did not see coming. I suggest-"

"I am the sovereign of the Subreddit, Scion." Inferno stood up, indignant. "I suggest that you remember who has the authority here."

"And yet it was us who gave you this authority," Jannis interjected. Zissman looked at him questioningly but allowed him to continue.

"You would be nothing without us," Jannis said. "Before we arrived here, you were a bit player, pushing buttons from the shadows in Heroa. Your predecessor had lost Crosshares, your armies and your riches. What was once a great kingdom was reduced to half its size and a fraction of its resources. And it would've stayed that way without our aid.

"Who lent you the spies necessary to blackmail as many rulers as you did? Who pacified the people of your rebellious allies with our religion? Who extended your influence as far as it is today? We did. The Church did."

"I am not your puppet!" Inferno screeched, and the room went silent. Jay's hand moved unconsciously towards his weapon's hilt. Jannis merely laughed.

"We don't ask that you be our puppet," he said. "All we want is your cooperation. But don't forget, Inferno. You may be sitting pretty now, but it was us who put you there."

"It's Queen Inferno," she said through gritted teeth.

Jannis grinned. "Yes, it is."

"Enough, Jannis," Zissman commanded, satisfied with his rant. "Save your ire for the battlefield. Come along, it's getting late."

"Yes, Jannis," Inferno smiled smugly. "Obey your master."

"We all have our masters. It's best that we don't forget who they are." With that, Jannis gave a small bow and followed Zissman to their chambers.

Inferno and Jay watched as they exited, both aggravated. Jay huffed. "What I wouldn't give to knock them down a notch."

"Jannis is a dog," Inferno said. "He barks long and loud, but he's no danger so long as Zissman keeps him on a tight leash."

"Then it's Zissman we have to look out for."

"Very good, Jay. You understand." She stood up from her throne and began pacing around the throne room. "Unfortunately, Jannis is right. We do owe them quite a bit, and they remain an important part of our efforts. We cannot simply do away with the Church. They have too many followers. It's rather…" She trailed off, and suddenly, her expression lit up with an expression Jay knew all too well: she had an idea.

"What is it this time?" Jay asked, both curious and nervous.

"We will make the Church of Thorns the state church!" Inferno announced with pride in her voice.

Jay paused for a moment, unconvinced. "Okay… but how will that help you, exactly?"

"It's quite simple. The Church has converts everywhere, converts and travelers they brought with them from beyond the mountains. Their religion has spread more quickly than anybody ever imagined, and thus, they have significant sway in nearly every territory."

"Okay, I follow," Jay said, not quite following.

"If we make them the state church, the Church adherents will pressure the nations we still have under our control into staying loyal to us, for fear of an uprising or somesuch. We keep the Subreddit under my rule by threat of force. It's genius!"

"But what does this do to Zissman?" Jay asked, still unsure.

Inferno merely smiled and waved him off. "Fret not, that's the other half of the plan. By making the Church of Thorns the state church, we absorb them into our jurisdiction, make them subservient to the state. Then, perhaps after the war is over, we nudge Zissman to retire, or, barring that, off a balcony, and we elect his replacement. It will take some time, but we will have killed two birds with one stone."

Jay nodded as the plan pieced itself together in his mind. "It could backfire," he said.

"Yes, but it could work wonders," Inferno said. "Just you wait, Jay, you'll see." With that, she beckoned for him to follow her as she retired to her chambers and he worked another sleepless night outside her bedroom door.

"We both will, I suppose," Jay agreed, and his voice dropped down to barely a whisper. "One way or another."

As Zissman and Jannis entered their quarters, Jannis closed the door behind them and let out a loud groan.

Zissman sighed. "Yes, Jannis, I know, but we must deal with her for a while longer."

"Why?" Jannis asked, irritated. "Why must we suffer the presence of such a sinful warmonger? Are we not disciples first and missionaries second? We should have run her through as soon as we had the opportunity."

"Perhaps," Zissman said, taking a seat at his reading desk and opening the Holy Text. "Jannis, what does the Testimony of the Black Maiden, chapter 24, verses 34-35 tell us?"

Jannis cleared his throat and sat down on his bed, trying to remember. "It's been some time since I've brushed up on the Testimonies," he admitted sheepishly.

"They who suffer the sinful on account of their righteousness are blessed, but they who suffer the sinful to do righteousness are the true servants of the Most High." Zissman reclined in his chair, his point made.

"We should only suffer these heathens as long as absolutely necessary, Scion," Jannis retorted. "As soon as the dust settles, I say we chop off her head, blame it on whoever's convenient, and kill them while we pick a successor."

"Ah, Jannis, you're starting to sound like the natives." Zissman smiled as he saw a hint of revulsion cross Jannis' expression. "I like that you're picking up their intrigue, but remember: you are the sword of this Church. If the time comes for an armed uprising, you will raise our faithful against these heretics. But until that is both feasible and necessary, we will continue to puppet this war until we no longer need to hide behind Inferno."

"I don't like having to cower behind this woman for legitimacy," Jannis said, clearly agitated. "It doesn't matter how many followers we have if we aren't recognized by the nobility."

"I don't like it any more than you do, Jannis," Zissman calmly responded. "But fret not. Now there is a rebellion, a rebellion that will provide us the opportunity to uproot the malcontents. Once the rebels are dealt with, we focus all our efforts on converting this land and maintaining the status quo until, at last, the Church triumphs over all. Then, we will lay back and enjoy the fruits of our labors."

"And if we do not succeed in this fight?" Jannis asked, a vague eagerness behind the question. "What then?"

Zissman scratched his beard and laughed. "Then, Jannis, we put Inferno aside and take matters into our own hands."

"I like the sound of that," Jannis said. "By steel and fire will the impious be burned away."

"The Book of the Prophecies," Zissman said, smiling. "And here I thought you never got the chance to read the Old Scriptures."

"Only a few, but that one stuck out to me," Jannis admitted, and he yawned. "It's getting late. You can continue scheming in the morning."

"I think I will, thank you very much," Zissman responded dryly as he walked into the adjoining chamber. "Oh, and before I forget, remind me to speak to Anti in the morning. She's been very… reserved lately."

"Sure," Jannis mumbled, already half-asleep in full body armor. Zissman grumbled a bit before closing the door and kneeling down next to the bed.

From the drawer, he retrieved his pendant, which illustrated an ornate rose wrapped in a vine of thorns. He gripped it tightly and began the prayer of tribulation.

"Upon my head, I wear a crown of thorns, and in my hand a white rose I hold dear. Behind me, I am shamed and beat and scorned, and up ahead my fate draws ever near. I do not fear the dark of night; to those Above I pledge my plight. My Goddess is my saving light."

Zissman remained kneeling in meditation for a few more minutes before he silently donned his night clothes and set the pendant back in its drawer. He lay down on the bed and drifted off to sleep with dreams of triumph.

Anti paced in the palace plaza as the night grew ever darker and the moon began to illuminate the surroundings. The moonlight reflected off the statues and the small duck pond, making the shadows on the wall dance in celebration. It reminded her of her home.

No, Anti said to herself, she should not be thinking so emotionally. She took a seat on a bench, pulled out a ledger, and began to scan through it while her thoughts drifted away from her work.

Since Anti had joined with the Church and Faker, she'd been becoming more sentimental. Her father, and after he had passed, her older brother had always taught her to be pragmatic. To be practical. To be ruthless. And to be sure, she had plenty of opportunities to be that way with her new associates.

But she had a nagging feeling pulling her toward something she couldn't quite understand. Was it her conscience? Was it some sort of danger she felt? Some sort of fear?

Anti shook her head. Fear had no place in business, unless it was the fear of loss. So what was this then, this strange feeling?

It was some sort of attachment, Anti concluded, it had to be. She had always felt some sort of camaraderie with Faker and Jannis and Zissman, and later, even Inferno and Jay. Lately, it had become stronger, perhaps beyond camaraderie. Friendship? It had been a long time since she'd had a friend. Her business associates could be pleasant and chipper, but that was just pomp and procedure, to make sure the negotiations went smoothly. She felt like she could trust these people.

But that was naive, Anti reminded herself. Trust was for consumers, not businesspeople. Whatever this attachment was, she would have to manage it. Besides, she had work to do in the face of an imminent rebellion. Inferno's army wouldn't arm itself.

It was getting late, she noted. Anti closed her ledger and decided to retire to her quarters and get a head start on her work tomorrow. Ignoring her nagging doubts, she went straight to bed.