An event in the palace

[Maria Morimoto]

The Kaiser's reading room was quiet. The Kaiser was present only bodily, since otherwise he was deeply engrossed in the latest book of a fantasy series about a strange planet called La Terre. The only people otherwise around were a couple of guards, clad in as ridiculously garish colours as only officers under the Kampione could ever be. The silence was broken as the Duke of Straylight sauntered into the Imperial throne room (the way some Dukes of Straylight tend to saunter everywhere), tailed by a dark-clad woman in perhaps her mid- or late twenties.

"Your niftiness!" The Duke yelled with only just enough formality for the situation. "Your niftiness! Your attention, please!"

"Unless it's those fuckers with camels at the gates, I don't want to hear about it," the Kaiser's voice spoke from behind the book.

"Sir, you wouldn't be interested even if it were Babkhans at the gates."

"And so I wouldn't! So, what's so important in Shireroth now?"

"I would like to introduce to you a subject and acquiantance of mine. She's someone with plentiful experience of important matters of state, and she has an important message."

Erasmas put down the book. "That's about the least interesting thing you could possibly interrupt my reading for, so it must be something extremely important. Let's hear it, then!"

The woman stepped forward. She wore a smile just slightly too knowing to be appropriate for the situation. "I'll be brief, Your Niftiness. You may or may not be aware that I am the person who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Ly'Technomaezj family --"

Nobody in the room showed surprise. The guards because they had been trained to be stone-faced, the Kaiser because he wasn't entirely certain what the Ly'Technomaezj were again, and the Duke because he had already picked his jaw up off the floor several minutes ago.

"-- and one of my responsibilities is preparing certain matters for the ascension of each new heir of the line."

"Woah, wait, slow down please," the Kaiser lifted up a hand. "Uhh, first off, who are you anyway?"

"Of course, your Niftiness. I am Maria Morimoto, chief geneticist of the Systematic Expansion board of administrators, and as far as I know, the only clinically immortal person in these lands. I have provided the Duke here with my original birth certificate and other ample evidence of my age."

"I told the MiniInt to put your real birth date in the official records," the Duke mentioned. "As a joke, we're pretty good friends. I don't think any bureaucrat has caught it yet."

Morimoto shrugged. "Yeah, it's the kind of thing that even if it got in the daily news people wouldn't believe it anyway. Back to the subject at hand, in ASC 956 Kaiser Ari 0, who was aware of my nature - I was 137 years old at the time - provided me with instructions on preparing for each new Ly'Technomaezj heir - how to arrange social and legal matters in the nation, where the extraction points are, and so forth."

She continued: "Unfortunately, Ly'Technomaezj being what they are, their instructions don't exactly reveal their meaning willingly until it's almost too late. Which is why there was a grievous and completely unintentional miscalculation involved in the expectation of the next heir.

"The instructions describe that there will be twenty-three rulers of Shireroth between each Ly'Technomaezj, or at least some variation thereof. Until late I was not entirely clear what this meant. A vague prophecy coupled with a complicated political system made it almost impossible to determine exactly which rulers counted.

"By now, however, I am reasonably convinced, that what counts is either the Landsraad or any single ruler listed in the annals of Shirithian history. Between Ari 0 and Ari i there was one Kaiser, Mors II, who ruled twice - he counts once - and two recorded times of Landsraad leadership - which also count once. This made him the 23rd ruler after Ari 0. By the same method of counting, your Niftiness, you are the 21st ruler since Ari i.

"In other words, sir, there will be one Kaiser after you, before a return of the Lost Line. So says the prophecy."

The Kaiser blinked. "This is all very interesting, but this pertains to me... how?"

Morimoto's smile deepened slightly. "While some of what was told me was vague - I am still figuring out what it means that the second of the Double Demons will be slain, or that all the gold in Goldshire will be carried to the sea - some were much more exact.

"They spoke of a Kaiser who had come from the same place as Aure I, and was even less engaged in matters of state than Ari i. A silent Kaiser whose rule would silence the nation if it continued for too long. And here's how they wanted me to deal with it."

Maria pressed a button in some kind of a tiny device in her palm. A grey sound rang out, and almost instantly - the Kaiser's body burst into bright flames, which consumed him in seconds, leaving behind only some glowing ashes. The guards started at the woman, but the Duke yelled out:

"Halt! I know Erasmas picked you from his home sanct - as Straylightians you are under my authority now." The guards looked at each other, then at him. "Well, until the Steward comes around. But you'll have managed to carry out these instructions by then: You will escort Miss Morimoto to her private plane - she will show the way herself - telling anyone who asks that you are under personal orders from the Kaiser and she must be allowed to pass. You will also take the pills that she will provide. Don't worry, they won't kill you, but you'll wake up with one hell of a headache and about as much brain damage as from a night out drinking."

Morimoto left wordlessly, guards in tow, leaving the Duke alone. He picked up the old Kaiser's book and leafed through a few pages to pass the time for a few minutes. Then he walked out, and entered the Great Hall, with an announcement:

Kaiser Erasmas is dead, long live Kaiseress Anandja!

[Kaiseress Anandja I]

Anandja was sitting in front of the fireplace in her Brookshire Hamlet mansion when the butler delivered a message from the palace. She carefully unravelled the piece of paper, read the short message, and then let the paper fall into the fire. As the flames consumed the paper, she called out for the butler.

"Jeeves, could you please pull the carriage around? I'm going to Shirekeep". She got up, went over to the large wardrobe and picked out the finest light blue dress she could find. She loved the way it swirled when she turned around. She eyed herself critically in the mirror.

"Looks good enough for the Kaiseress of Shireroth", she said, turned around and went out to the waiting carriage.

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

So it comes to pass. It seems the Line of Grifos has a strong hand in the Fourth Age of Shireroth.

All Hail Anandja!

[Scott of Hyperborea]

I expected something like this to happen - but I didn't expect it to be with such style. Kudos to Ari.
And long live the Kaiseress!

[Jacobus Loki]

Long live the Kaiseress!!

[Syr William]

Long Live the Kaiseress Anandja!
(top that Jacobus)

[Jacobus Loki]

Long Live the Kaiseress Anandja!
(top that Jacobus)

(See the Temple)

[Andreas the Wise]

Extremely well played, Ari. Hi fives all round.

[Jonas]

Yay! Long live the Kaiseress!

[Austi_Scot]

Why do upheavals happen while I´m away?
Perhaps I shall rise to the throne someday , Kaiser Mises, and not even know it because I´m on LOA.

[Scott of Hyperborea]

If you rise up as Kaiser Mises, I'll...I'll...I don't know what I'll do, but I will have Andreas' support, and it will be very, very bad.

[Jonas]

If you rise up as Kaiser Mises, I'll...I'll...I don't know what I'll do, but I will have Andreas' support, and it will be very, very bad.

A Mog II?

[Jacobus Loki]

Why do upheavals happen while I´m away?
Perhaps I shall rise to the throne someday , Kaiser Mises, and not even know it because I´m on LOA.

That is exactly what happend to Loki III.............

[Austi_Scot]

If you rise up as Kaiser Mises, I'll...I'll...I don't know what I'll do, but I will have Andreas' support, and it will be very, very bad.

Ah ha, the opposition I desire is now at hand. Gather your forces, plan your battles, hold your secret councils, test which way the wind doth blow, level the field, stike up the band, lock and load.

Kaiser Mises I

[Jacobus Loki]

Uh oh!

A rival claimant!

maybe

perhaps
?

[Austi_Scot]

Aspirant more than a claimant.

An Aspirant with ideas.

[Jacobus Loki]

Anything is possible!