Nicholas sat down for what felt like the first time in weeks. The tour had been successful by his assessment, but politicking was a tiring game. Nicholas was cognizant however that the game wasn’t over quite yet. The King of Brusk was still coming and that was certainly not going to be a dull affair. The Rebellion had ended two years ago, but the memories were still fresh in the minds of the conflict’s survivors. Indeed the memories were still fresh in Nicholas, but he was dedicated to this. Nicholas had aggressively pushed the idea that it was the Brusken Generals that were to blame for the Rebellion rather than the Royal Family. While this was not entirely false, Nicholas knew that the House of Khor certainly did not attempt to stop the militarists, and he knew that many in the Capital still held that sentiment.
"Would you stop?" Victoria said abruptly.
"Stop what?" Nicholas said wryly.
"Thinking." She said flatly. "We just got back, relax for a minute."
"We have a King coming, and not a popular one." Laughed Nicholas. "This visit is going to take a lot of thinking."
"Hey, you wanted this." Victoria said shrugging. "Should have banished them after the Rebellion."
"Brusk would fall apart without that family holding it together." Said Nicholas leaning back in his chair.
"And would that be such a bad thing?" Victoria asked. "Given our presence there it might as well be under the direct rule of the Senate."
"We can’t stay there forever." Nicholas said.
"Can't?" Victoria said raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t want to stay there forever." Nicholas said through gritted teeth.
"And why not?" Victoria asked frankly.
"Murdering a Royal Family after a goodwill tour won’t send quite the message we’re looking for."
Victoria laughed loudly. "I see you have been thinking about this."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas replied.
"I never said anything about murder, but I see your mind went right there." Victoria said with half a smile.
"Semantics." Nicholas said rubbing his eyes. "I need to sleep."
"Think on it." Victoria said. "You want to bring us into the future, and maybe this is the future."
"And would the Senate see it as the future?" Nicholas replied.
"You care about the Senate?" Victoria said stifling a laugh. "And anyway why not? Use this as an opportunity to remove Khor, and the Senate gets more control. You know they love that."
Nicholas sighed deeply. "How?"
"You don't have to know that yet. Just do some of that thinking you said was going to be necessary, and I'll do some as well." Victory said slyly.
After another heavy sigh Nicholas said " I'll think on it."
"Good." Victory said putting a kiss on his forehead. "Now go to bed."
"Not coming?" Nicholas asked.
"I won’t be long. I need to see Marcus for a moment." She said as she headed for the door.
For once Nicholas’s exhaustion outweighed his suspicion. "Alright, sleep well when you get here."
"Not likely." Victoria called back as she left the room.
"Would you stop?" Victoria said abruptly.
"Stop what?" Nicholas said wryly.
"Thinking." She said flatly. "We just got back, relax for a minute."
"We have a King coming, and not a popular one." Laughed Nicholas. "This visit is going to take a lot of thinking."
"Hey, you wanted this." Victoria said shrugging. "Should have banished them after the Rebellion."
"Brusk would fall apart without that family holding it together." Said Nicholas leaning back in his chair.
"And would that be such a bad thing?" Victoria asked. "Given our presence there it might as well be under the direct rule of the Senate."
"We can’t stay there forever." Nicholas said.
"Can't?" Victoria said raising an eyebrow.
"I don’t want to stay there forever." Nicholas said through gritted teeth.
"And why not?" Victoria asked frankly.
"Murdering a Royal Family after a goodwill tour won’t send quite the message we’re looking for."
Victoria laughed loudly. "I see you have been thinking about this."
"What do you mean?" Nicholas replied.
"I never said anything about murder, but I see your mind went right there." Victoria said with half a smile.
"Semantics." Nicholas said rubbing his eyes. "I need to sleep."
"Think on it." Victoria said. "You want to bring us into the future, and maybe this is the future."
"And would the Senate see it as the future?" Nicholas replied.
"You care about the Senate?" Victoria said stifling a laugh. "And anyway why not? Use this as an opportunity to remove Khor, and the Senate gets more control. You know they love that."
Nicholas sighed deeply. "How?"
"You don't have to know that yet. Just do some of that thinking you said was going to be necessary, and I'll do some as well." Victory said slyly.
After another heavy sigh Nicholas said " I'll think on it."
"Good." Victory said putting a kiss on his forehead. "Now go to bed."
"Not coming?" Nicholas asked.
"I won’t be long. I need to see Marcus for a moment." She said as she headed for the door.
For once Nicholas’s exhaustion outweighed his suspicion. "Alright, sleep well when you get here."
"Not likely." Victoria called back as she left the room.