Duchess Josephina Barrow
Location: Windsor City, Windsor, Star Kingdom of Windsor
The Duchess’ shuttle was just one of many descending from orbit down to the planetary capitol. As a matter of security, numbers gave her anonymity. No one would guess the Kingdom’s Chief of Intelligence was going to be taking a public atmospheric course down to the capitol. So far, Josephina wasn’t aware of anyone looking to eliminate her, but a person couldn’t do her job without a healthy dose of paranoia.
“Diverting to pathway one-one-three in three…two…one…” the pilot announced just before the shuttle banked and headed away from the main body.
Thirty seconds later, “Escorts in place, and our course is laid in for the palace.” The pilot informed.
Josephina just shrugged and watched Windsor City pass below her. It looked like it was throwing the biggest party in the Star Kingdom’s history. Low altitude fireworks were going off all over the place, she could see people drinking and dancing in the street, and the Royal Coat of Arms was waving from every conceivable place. Patriotism was on display for everyone to see, and the returning spacers and marines of the Royal Navy, and various House fleets, were getting a warm welcome from their countrymen.
She’d instructed the crew of her Fleet ships to do just that when they pulled into their parking orbits above Rose Bay. She didn’t say it in as many words, but she told them to go out and enjoy a job well done. After all, they had fought and given her the planet of Harper’s Junction. It was a sizeable feather in her cap when it came to House politics.
Of all the new planets seized in operation Grand Sweep, only three had been given to noble Houses to administer. One went to the Jaeger’s, Josephina got Harper’s Junction, and the Babington’s got a place called Sac’s Prime. The remainder of the new Dominions, as they were being called, were administered by the Crown. Despite being administered by the high nobles, the three planets still needed a defensive fleet primarily constituted of Royal Navy warships. Josephina had left half of her ships at Harper’s Junction to provide support, but the cruiser and destroyers were no match for the handful of battlecruisers and pair of battleships the Royal Navy had brought along. She envisioned her ships would provide commercial shipping protection when the goods started to flow back to the home world, while the Royal Navy did the real heavy lifting. Not that she thought there would be such lifting in the near future.
She didn’t know the totality of Grand Sweep’s success, but if her own victories were any indication, then they’d bloodied the nose of all their rivals simultaneously. On top of that, they’d timed it perfectly. The Commonwealth was still in the throes of its election, so no counterattack would come until the new Prime Minister took office in several months. Of course, when the retired admiral did ascend to the highest political office, Josephina knew counterattacks would be on the way, but it gave them plenty of time to prepare.
The EU was already sending delegates to sue for peace. The EU was never big on warfighting, and even their losses on Premier Etat de Napoléon weren’t enough to change that sentiment. The individual star system might build a force to send out against the Kingdom as a matter of honor, but she had no reservations about even a minor House being able to handle them.
The Blockies were the more immediate threat. They hadn’t been attacked outright during Grand Sweep, but some unexplored junction system, officially in their sphere of influence, had been annexed by the Kingdom. Terraforming crews were already on the way along with a squadron of Royal Navy battleships to secure the system and begin the process of making its single goldilocks planet habitable. In the newly christened Victoria System, Josephina predicted a counterattack within a matter of weeks. Thankfully, the battleships were state-of-the-art construction just out of the yards. It was their maiden voyage, and they would draw first blood against the Blockies.
She put all of that out of her mind as the kilometer-tall skyscrapers of Windsor City gave way to upper-class suburbs, and finally into a large belt of greenery that separated the commoners from the Palace. Even in a shuttle moving close to the speed of sound, there was a full minute of greenery before the craft banked, cut its speed, and came in from a landing just to the side of the impressive, ancestral home of the Windsor Family.
Several members of the Obsidian Guard flanked the landing pad. Josephina’s own guards still gave the monstrous men and women sidelong glances, but she’d been to see the Queen often enough that the two security details worked seamlessly.
One of the Queen’s many aides, Josephina vaguely recalled this one’s name was Anne, acted as a guide. Josephina didn’t need one, but it was customary for any guests to be accompanied by a trained member of the palace staff; especially if they were High Nobles. Anne didn’t speak, which meant she had dealt with Josephina before, she just led the way.
At first, she thought they were going to the gardens, but after a few turns it was clear there was only one place they could be going. Josephina didn’t let her confusion show as they made their way to the throne room.
“Her Grace, the Duchess of Rose Bay,” Anne announced to a surprisingly packed audience chamber.
A round of applause greeted Josephina, who immediately felt underdressed for the occasion. She came dressed for an audience with the Queen, her friend, not an audience with the Queen and what looked like a representative of every High Noble family in the Kingdom. Tokens of state glinted all around her from the sunlight streaming into the room. A quick scan of the room showed the Duchess five tiaras, several golden scepters, and even a subdued crown that was heading straight for her.
“Your Grace,” a tall, twenty centimeters taller than Josephina, but thin man bent low and accepted her outstretched hand. He lightly brushed it with his lips.
“Your Grace.” Once the man straightened, Josephina curtsied to him. They both smiled. “It’s good to see you Robert.”
Robert Jaeger, Duke of Dresselshire, patriarch of House Jaeger was Josephina’s friend and rival. The man’s power was second only to the Queen, and he knew it, but Josephina always found him to be a practical man. He was ruthless if crossed, but he still considered the full picture of any situation. At the moment, the Duke looked positively elated. Josephina couldn’t blame him. His House had a new planet to administer, and all the wealth that came along with that. His son was Prince Consort, and one day his grandchild would sit on the throne. Josephina considered herself in an advantageous position, but she had nothing on Robert. Not to mention his House Fleet was busy constructing its own superdreadnought. Josephina’s flag ship was a battlecruiser, and that had been more than enough to get the job done.
“It’s lovely as always to see you, Josephina. Especially on such a momentous day,” he gestured at the gathered nobles. Plenty of whom waved back.
“I must confess that I’m a little out of the loop. I just returned from Harper’s Junction. Conquering a planet tends to occupy one’s full attention.” The statement wasn’t as much a jab as a reminder.
Robert hadn’t gone with his House Fleet during Operation Grand Sweep. The man was approaching two centuries, and she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to get in the line of fire. Being full of piss and vinegar was a game for the young. What her statement was, was a subtle reminder not to interpret Josephina’s more casual dress, or lack of knowledge of the situation as a sign of weakness. She’d been busy fighting for her country. The immediate political maneuvers of court fell second to that.
Robert inclined his head in acknowledgment. “Her Majesty called for a gathering of all High Nobles. I assume it has something to do with the operation’s success…” Robert cut off his explanation and took a step backward.
Josephina raised an eyebrow, but saw how Robert’s eyes darted to her left. There was only one person that Robert would defer to in such a way. Josephina expertly executed an about face and curtsied as low as she could go.
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“Your Majesty.” Josephina waited in the deep curtsey from Queen Victoria IV to signal her to rise. She might be childhood friends with the Queen, but in a setting like this, she was just another subject.
“Rise, Duchess Rose Bay,” the Queen softly commanded.
Josephina rose and couldn’t help but stare. Victoria was in the full robes of state. The pieces of clothing were outdated, uncomfortable, and apparently made a person sweat like a pig, but they were an integral part of tradition. The same tradition that stated they were usually only worn during coronations and a few other very special circumstances. Apparently, today counted as one of those circumstances.
“Please follow me…you too Duke Dresselshire.” The Queen turned, and Josephina was momentarily blinded as the light caught the crown jewels she was wearing.
The Queen’s crown had been carved from a giant diamond, and was far more beautiful than anything metallic could ever be. That didn’t stop her from having a scepter of pure gold adorned with emeralds and rubies. If for some reason someone missed the crown there was no way they could miss the pink diamond the size of a fist nestled between the Queen’s breasts; breasts, which at the moment were swollen with milk. You had to look closely, but there was a discernable bulge under the robes of state.
As they walked, Josephina did a quick calculation to determine her friend and liege had just entered her third trimester. The Queen led them out of the audience chamber into a small antechamber. Small being relative to the other room. It was still a good eight hundred square meters of open space.
“Thank God,” the Queen said the moment they’d closed the door behind them. Servants scrambled around her to remove the heavy robes. Underneath, Victoria was wearing a more sensible smartcloth dress which allowed her to breathe. “That’s better.”
She turned to Josephina and enveloped her in a hug. The baby bump was now noticeable and got in the way a little, but the Duchess still accepted it. “I still can’t believe you led the attack on Harper’s Junction.” The Queen shook her head.
“I can’t believe you cut off that man’s head in front of his subjects.” Robert threw in his own two cents.
“They aren’t subjects like the Kingdom’s subjects, Robert,” Josephina explained. “They didn’t love the governor like we love our Queen. In fact, they hated him. Killing him helped me galvanize his opposition, smooth the way for a transitional government under our control, and let the people know we are serious. We can either be the hand that shelters them, or the hand that crushes them. All but a small portion of the population made the correct decision.”
“And the part that didn’t?” The Queen asked as she took a seat and accepted a refreshing glass of fruit-water.
Josephina envied the effortless grace that the Queen exuded, even when six months pregnant, but it was more due to the countless losses she’d tallied against the Queen than anything else. The Winsdor genome was designed to be royal.
“They’re being taught the error of their ways,” Josephina failed to mimic the Queen’s grace, but she was glad to get the same cup of fruit-water. It was stuffy in the throne room.
“Not so fast,” the Queen waved her finger. More attendants burst from hidden doors and swarmed Josephina and Robert. “Daphne has already undergone this mild torture, so you will all just have to bear it. We need you looking your best for what’s to come.”
Some people might refer to the next thirty minutes as pampering, but the Queen was right to call it torture. Josephina was stripped naked, dressed in robes similar to the robes of state the Queen had just discarded. They didn’t have quite the riches sown into them, but they were easily the most expensive piece of clothing Josephina had ever worn on her body. The attendants also attacked her face with a variety of concoctions and puffs of air that she would have thought were poison if anyone else had done it. Thankfully, the bioseed that had been imbedded in her brain, along with every other member of the Royal Household and High Nobility, informed her they were simply nanites designed to eat away dead skin and improve complexion.
The Queen walked around the two of them while her attendants tortured. She sipped her water and made small talk, which Josephina saw as an effort to distract them from the discomfort. It didn’t really work, but she appreciated the effort. Thirty minutes later, a stately man entered the room and said they had five minutes. That elicited a sigh from the Queen before she went over and donned her robes of state once again.
“Victoria, what is happening?” Josephina hissed as they were led out a back door that would take them around to a small waiting area directly behind the thrones.
The Queen just smiled and gave her a wink before a man was in front of her giving a list of instructions. Josephina barely paid attention at the tsunami of words, but thankfully her bioseed caught the gist and converted it to text for her to reference at her leisure…which meant forty-five seconds later when old-fashioned trumpets started to blow and a herald announced their presence. The pageantry of it all told her it was being recorded for the Queen’s subjects.
“…Her Royal Highness Victoria, fourth of her name, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, of the planet Windsor and all Dominions among the stars, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Order of the Sword…” the titles went on for another few seconds before Victoria took the throne, and Josephina, Robert, and Duchess Daphne Babington of New Cardiff all took their predetermined spot at the bottom of the dais, but still above the other seated high nobles.
“My loyal subjects,” Victoria began with her husband Prince Albert Jaeger-Windsor on her left, in a slightly lower position, and her eldest daughter, Crown Princess Georgiana, heir to the throne, was slightly lower on the right. “Today is a day of celebration. Today is a day of victory. The ships of our Royal Navy, and the forces of our Noble Houses have returned to us victorious. They have staggered the barbarians at our gates. They have bloodied the usurpers, land grabbers, and carpetbaggers that have sought to rob our Kingdom of its birthright among the stars. Today we have stood united and declared in one mighty voice, NO, and we have begun to take back what is ours.” The Queen had to stop as thunderous applause filled the room, and likely, the entire planet.
Victoria smiled at the adulation, and let it run its course. “We are no longer a single system Kingdom…”
Josephina had known they weren’t a single system kingdom for over a decade, but the classified nature of their major shipbuilding nexus was a closely guarded secret.
“…and as such we need to adapt to changing circumstances.” Victoria gestured to the three people standing beneath her. “I present to you Duchess Rose Bay, the Duke of Dresselshire, and Duchess New Cardiff. Each of these three nobles personally contributed to the success we have seen today. Without them, the military victories would not have been possible, and for their actions they will be rewarded. Because of their efforts, and the effort of our military forces, we are no longer a simple kingdom…we are an empire.”
Josephina could have heard a pin drop in the room. Victoria’s smile engulfed everything else.
“From this day forward, the Star Empire of Windsor will rigorously defend its right to sovereignty, to live as we wish to live, to trade, and to thrive. As your Empress, I will defend those rights and liberties until my dying breath, and so will the nobility that govern.”
“All Hail, Her Imperial Highness, Victoria, First Empress, by the Grace of God, rightful Ruler of Great Britain, Queen of the Windsor System and all Dominions Systems among the stars , Defender of the Faith, Order of the Sword…”
Josephina noticed the title changes and followed the rest of the high nobles in the room by going to their knees in front of their newly christened Empress. Everyone in the room could feel the momentous occasion that was upon them.
“As your Empress, I understand the need to delegate responsibility, and so I present to you these accomplished and distinguished High Nobles.” Victoria approached the Josephina, Robert, and Daphne. To her right was a member of her Obsidian Guard holding three crowns. They weren’t as grand as the now-Imperial crown on Victoria’s head, but they weren’t half bad. They were a mix of gold and silver with precious stones in the colors of the High Noble Houses they were about to be bestowed upon.
Victoria stopped in front of Josephina first. “Josephina Barrow, Matriarch of House Barrow, Duchess of Rose Bay, Countess of Westwoodshire, Order of the Sword, from this day forward I dub thee Queen of Harper’s Junction, henceforth known as Barrowsford. May your line bring glory to the Empire. Rise Queen of Barrowsford and swear your loyalty to your Empress.”
The bioseed displayed the oath of loyalty across her vision, and Josephina recited it without issue, but her mind was going over the political ramifications of what Victoria was doing.
Logically, how the Kingdom – now empire – was administered was going to have to change, but Josephina never imagined this. Victoria had just created another level of nobility above the high nobles, and in the process elevated herself as well. It was political genius, but Josephina worried about the future. Robert Jaegar was a good man, but what about those who came after her. The Jaeger’s were ambitious by nature, and now that they were Kings by imperial decree, she worried all of this would go to their head. Plus, all of the heavy metals waiting for them on Sacs Prime – now the planet Jaegerton – were going to make them an economic powerhouse. Josephina wasn’t too worried about the new Queen of Babington. Daphne was more of an administrator than a spy or warrior. She’d fit well into the new role.
{I can see you overthinking this whole thing.} Victoria’s voice suddenly popped into Josephina’s head. {For once will you just sit back and enjoy the moment, Your Royal Highness.}
{If you say so, Your Imperial Highness.} Josephina made sure a mental grin accompanied the thought. After all, she was a Queen now. That was something she hadn’t expected in her wildest dreams, and judging by the jealous looks on many of the High nobles faces, they never expected it either.