The residence of the Duchy of Blood in the very city of Blood was built in a gloomy and Gothic style, even resembling more a luxurious palace covered in dark tones. Undoubtedly, this large building had once truly been a palace, but after the war it came to be called the Residence of the Blood family. It was certainly much larger than that small manor outside the city where the elder Lady Katerina loved to spend her time, for there nothing interfered with her pursuing her elderly hobbies, while the routine and administrative work fell to Lord Gabriel. But now the Duchess had arrived in the capital of her own lands to meet the caravan coming from the Free Cities. The main part of their procession had stopped outside the city, including the huge wagons loaded with parts of the massive machine called a train. They now wanted to change horses in the city, rest a bit, and move on. However, the Duchess Blood had requested an audience with the head of their caravan. And how surprised she was when before her stood a dark-skinned, handsome—though no longer young, yet still in the prime of his life—man in a white bisht.

  *Ah, if only I had young Katerina's body now, I would definitely make a pass at him. How handsome he is, the scoundrel!* the Duchess thought to herself. It was unlikely that such a charming man would look at an old woman like her now, even considering that in her current state, the woman looked much younger than her years. After all, Katerina prided herself on the selection she had carried out over the centuries to remain beautiful for as long as possible. And if she added such a wonderful man to their lineage, how beautiful their children could be, and how beautiful she could become...

  "I greet you, Your Grace, Lady Katerina, Duchess Blood," the head of the caravan addressed her, slightly bowing his head while maintaining an impassive expression. The woman was somewhat surprised by his manners. Usually, representatives from the Free Cities could rarely correctly name the title and form of address for an aristocratic person. Although this irritated Katerina, many such people considered themselves equal to the nobility and behaved insolently as well. So the Duchess was surprised, though not greatly, but it made her desire this man even more.

  At that moment, they were in the reception hall, which was impressive in its size and could even compare to the reception hall of the castle in the capital city of Crow itself. In this huge room, there was no one except Katerina herself, who sat in a comfortable chair more resembling a throne, and the man standing opposite her.

  "Oh, please, Professor Munib, you may simply call me Lady Katerina," the woman smiled, continuing to look at the man.

  "As you wish, Lady Katerina," Munib replied, again bowing his head slightly, but remaining standing.

  *Oh, how wonderful he is,* the woman thought. The Duchess could see that his face was calm, but based on her many years of experience, she sensed the man was uncomfortable. He was clearly not accustomed to all these palaces and interactions with aristocrats. The woman found this reaction quite amusing, and even somewhat endearing. She felt like a snake, ready to pounce on a white rabbit and devour it in one bite.

  "Would you like to continue in a more informal setting? You must be tired after your long journey, Professor. I think a little rest wouldn't hurt you. I happen to have a room nearby where we can continue our conversation and settle onto comfortable sofas," Katerina said, trying to steer the conversation in a direction more convenient for her.

  "Thank you for the offer, Lady Katerina, but I will take the liberty of declining it," Munib immediately replied, showing no emotion and with no change in his voice.

  *Remarkable. He might not be so bad at palace intrigues if he lived at court. This man certainly knows how to keep himself in check,* the Duchess marveled, but her face at that moment showed no emotion except for slight disappointment, which she deliberately feigned.

  "Well, sorry to hear that, but then let us continue," the woman said aloud. "As I understand, Professor, your journey has been long, and you have been traveling for several months from your wonderful Free City of Starhorod, having visited the Free City of Novgorod and my beautiful neighbors—the Republic of Salt. They say their capital, Lake, is a very beautiful place, built on an island in a huge lake, and that the city has grown so much that buildings have even begun to appear on its shore."

  Munib did not answer immediately, choosing words in his head. But the elderly woman read the inexperienced man like an open book, even though he surprised her a little and tried to hide everything he felt. But this way it was even more interesting.

  "Our caravan did not visit any cities in the Republic of Salt," the professor finally answered, gathering his thoughts. "We traveled along their border and the border of the Kingdom of Stone until we reached your Duchy and the Kingdom of Crow as a whole."

  Katerina thought for a moment. This was a strange route; it would have been much faster to travel through the Republic of Salt. What was the caravan group afraid of? The Republic? Of course, the Kingdom of Stone had peace treaties with all five major Free Cities, and perhaps Munib was relying on their protection if they were suddenly attacked. It was a pity the Duchess had no idea of the real reason for such a route, as everything was much simpler.

  "But what about supplies?" Katerina asked, still trying to understand the reason for such a path.

  "We took extra supplies from the Free City of Novgorod," the man calmly replied.

  "But wasn't that too troublesome? You have so many people; it must have been difficult to move with such a supply of provisions..."

  "Camels are hardy."

  *Seriously? That's how you answer me?* Katerina thought to herself, not realizing that Munib was being perfectly serious, not joking with her at all.

  "Yes, thank you, Professor, I am aware of that," the woman replied with a slightly forced smile.

  Munib said nothing in response, simply continuing to stand opposite her, waiting for further questions from the Duchess, since she had clearly not summoned him for small talk.

  "Then let us postpone the matter of your rest, Professor," she spoke again after a couple of minutes. She deliberately made a long pause to make the man nervous, at least a little. "I would like to propose a deal to you."

  "What kind of deal, Lady Katerina?" Munib asked in surprise, for the first time during their dialogue looking directly into the elderly woman's eyes.

  "Sell me the train, Professor," Katerina said with a slightly warm smile.

  "I'm afraid that's impossible, however strong your or my desire might be," the professor replied almost immediately. But he had clearly lost his composure after this proposal, much to Katerina's delight.

  "And why is that, Professor Munib? It seems to me that I could allocate you a sufficient sum of money for this train to remain in my Duchy and not be delivered to the domains of the Starr Barony," the elderly woman continued to smile, observing the man's reaction.

  "And yet, even with all the money you might offer us, the train was not purchased only with Baron Starr's funds," Munib said, glancing around slightly as if checking that no one was eavesdropping.

  "Oh, Professor, no need to look around. There's no one here but the two of us," the Duchess said, watching Munib's reaction. "And you need not worry for your life. You are here merely for negotiations; no one is going to kill you. That would disgrace my Duchy's reputation—a honored guest being killed while in my very capital. And there is no one to eavesdrop on us here—this is MY residence in MY city."

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Katerina smiled, watching the man's reaction. Of course, the offer to buy the train was nonsense; she was more interested in who, besides the late Baron Starr, Lord Charles, was involved in its purchase. But if, suddenly, Munib agreed to this deal, she wouldn't be too upset either. So the situation was a win-win for her either way.

  "Forgive me, Lady Katerina," the man apologized, clearly no longer hiding his fear. He was too unsure of himself now, although at first he had seemed very strong and resilient. But he was still incredibly handsome, in the opinion of the Duchess Blood. If only she had the opportunity to make him serve her... A century ago, this would hardly have been a problem, but not now.

  "It's quite alright, Professor," the woman continued to smile. "I in no way meant to embarrass you or pressure you. This wonderful device you are bringing is anticipated throughout the kingdom, and everyone is eagerly awaiting the moment this great machine will traverse the lands of our glorious Duchy, and beyond."

  "But the route blueprint was originally from the Duchy of Wood to the Duchy of Celestial," Munib began to say, but Katerina interrupted him.

  "That is of no concern to me. I think you can convince Viscount Lines that building the road from the Duchy of Wood to my Duchy is the top priority."

  Katerina no longer smiled but looked at the man with a serious face. Her real goal was this—for the railway to initially pass through her territory, to increase the turnover of goods and boost her Duchy's economy. Then she would have enough strength to once again subjugate the Wood family and go to war against the current kingdom. Sooner or later, she would achieve her independence, no matter how many years it took, for she was a queen, not some pathetic duchess.

  "I must decline you again, Lady Katerina," Munib said quietly, apparently not fully understanding what this woman wanted from him.

  "Professor, this is not the kind of request one declines. I wouldn't even call it a request. It's more like an order, and believe me, I will find ways to ensure it is carried out."

  "You are not at liberty to order me," Munib suddenly replied rudely, raising his head, and in his eyes burned a fire that was familiar to the Duchess—she called it the fire of freedom. Apparently, she had been somewhat mistaken in her judgments about him. But she had seen such eyes only in Arthur I Crow. He was a ruthless man who sought his own freedom. Perhaps something else drove him, but Katerina knew little about that. His descendants no longer had that fire in their eyes. And now, to her surprise, she had met such a man from the Free Cities. Of course, the fire in the eyes was just a figure of speech, and Munib had no actual fire now, but that was exactly how the Duchess Blood saw him at that moment.

  "And why is that?" the elderly woman chuckled, continuing to watch the man's reaction.

  "The royal family, whom you are subordinate to, partially paid for this train, and I work for them, not for you. You must follow their decisions as well," Munib said with firmness in his voice, but clearly wanted to add something, though he held back, not wanting to worsen an already dangerous situation slowly slipping out of his control.

  "That is indeed problematic, but all problems in this world can be solved," the woman chuckled, clearly knowing what she was talking about.

  "No," the man rejected her words. "We will not redraw the blueprints."

  "Well, that's your right," the Duchess replied, leaning back in her chair. "Just don't regret your choice."

  "Are you threatening me?" Munib responded somewhat angrily, clenching his fists, but the Duchess knew he would do nothing to her in her own palace; it would cost him his life, no matter what kind of professor he was or what he was bringing with him.

  "I am stating a fact," Katerina said, looking at the man. She liked him much more this angry than as the mumbler he had portrayed before. Say what you will, she loved strong men, because they fathered strong children, whom she would then surely usurp. Of course, if there were several children, she would take the appearance of the prettiest girl. But usually, Katerina tried to keep only one heir, two at most, to make it easier to replace them with herself.

  "Then allow me to take my leave, Katerina," Munib said without any courtesy, and without waiting for a response from the Duchess, turned and walked towards the exit.

  Katerina said nothing to his retreating back. After the grand door closed, she snapped her fingers several times. Behind her throne, a small hatch opened—difficult to identify, blending with the floor tiles—and out crawled a bald, limping man. Lord Gabriel, Baron Fingers, appeared before his queen, or rather Duchess, but for him she was always a queen, despite all the titles she had changed.

  Of course, she had told Munib that no one was there, but she never claimed that to be true. Besides, she needed protection in case she was suddenly attacked. An attacker, of course, would not leave her palace alive, but what would be the point if the Duchess herself were dead? So this was a small precaution in the form of her loyal Gabriel, hiding behind the throne to be able to react in time.

  "Yes, Your Majesty," the man said, kneeling before the throne on which Katerina sat. He always addressed her like that when he was sure they were alone.

  "Gabriel," the Duchess—no, Queen Blood began, for she was indeed a queen now, and the man her loyal subject, despite all the centuries they had spent together. "What do you know about this professor? I hope you are not repeating your mistakes?"

  "No, my Lady," Baron Fingers quickly replied. "I have already found out everything about this man named Munib."

  "Since you've found out, then tell me. Stop keeping me in suspense," Katerina said irritably, tapping the armrest of her throne with her red nails.

  "Yes, my Lady," Lord Gabriel obediently replied and immediately reached into the bag on his shoulder. He took out several rolled-up papers, quickly read them to ensure they contained the needed information, and continued:

  "Professor Munib is one of the senior professors of the city of Starhorod. As you know, this is the oldest of the five known Free Cities, and also the farthest from our great Duch—Kingdom of Blood. But the most interesting thing is not that. Munib's father is Professor Garib..."

  "Get to the point," Katerina interrupted her servant impatiently.

  "Forgive me, my Lady, but this is important information. Professor Garib is considered the developer of the airship, while Munib developed the train."

  "Remarkable," Katerina said. She had always thought the train the professor was bringing was merely an old development. But that the airship had been built before the train—that was truly surprising. After all, it was because of the military power of the airship that the Desert Empire had lost the civil war fifty years ago.

  "Yes, my Lady, but that's not all," Gabriel continued. "They say His Highness Olufemi IV, the Emperor of Desert, is still angry about losing that war. Most likely, he wouldn't mind taking revenge on the descendant of his hated enemy."

  "Now that is good news," the Duchess smirked. "It surprises me that old geezer Emperor Olufemi is still alive. How old is he, eighty-six?"

  "Eighty-one, my Lady," the Baron corrected the woman.

  "Never mind," Katerina waved off her subordinate's correction. "The main thing is that he's still breathing, which means he remembers me. Shall we arrange a small gift for the Emperor?"

  Gabriel looked at his queen in surprise, clearly not understanding what she was planning.

  "What do you intend to do?" the Baron asked, obviously wanting to know the answer to his mistress's question, as he would have to carry out her whim.

  "Inform His Imperial Majesty Olufemi IV that the son of Professor Garib is currently in the Kingdom of Crow, and also that he will most likely be present at the Royal Ball of Crow. I think the Emperor himself will decide what to do with this information. But it's better to send it as quickly as possible so he can take his steps in advance," Katerina said with a slight smile. Of course, it was a pity to lose such a valuable asset as Professor Munib, but if he wouldn't be hers, then he wouldn't belong to anyone.

  Just as Gabriel was about to respond, a knock came at the entrance doors to the hall. The Baron quickly rose from his knees and simply stood opposite the Duchess as she loudly and authoritatively said:

  "Enter!"

  One of the doors opened and the commandant of her palace entered—she didn't remember his name well, as she rarely appeared in this palace now. Perhaps he was one of the children of her county subjects, but she wasn't sure. Katerina hadn't thought about such trifles for a long time; Baron Fingers handled that kind of nonsense. It was a young man, dressed in a red tailcoat, looking quite young, but now he was extremely agitated.

  "I greet you, Your Grace, Lady Katerina; Your Grace, Lord Gabriel," the commandant bowed to them both, speaking nervously, slightly swallowing the endings of his words. Then he straightened up and continued, trying to sound a little more confident. The information was clearly unpleasant, given how nervous he was. "I saw Professor Munib leave the palace and assumed your audience was over, so I..."

  "Get to the point faster," the Duchess Blood said irritably. Why did she have such weak subordinates now? Where were all those brave and great warrior men, not pathetic whiners afraid even to offend her?

  "Yes, of course, Your Grace," the commandant continued nervously. "The younger Lady Katerina is missing."

  "Again?!" the Duchess cried out angrily. "Then why are you still here?! Find her immediately! This time she won't get off with just a reprimand!"

  "Yes, of course, Your Grace. We'll get on it right away," the commandant said and left the room.

  Katerina merely clicked her tongue, watching the young man leave the reception hall, then turned to Gabriel:

  "Fingers, the matter of conveying the information to the Emperor is a priority—deal with that first. I hope those incompetents can manage without you and find a solitary, highly conspicuous girl in my city. Why am I being punished like this..."

  But the elder Katerina did not know that at that very moment, on the outskirts of the city, Munib would encounter her granddaughter and offer the young girl a journey towards the Duchy of Celestial.