22nd February 2024Hospitals weren't Serenity's favourite place, she'd had a couple of operations, had a few visits with the girls and of course now Euphy was on a hospital bed waiting for treatment for a parasitic liver infection, the treatment in question would be a live liver transplant, which was why members of the Anselmo family had been contacted and DNA tests were being done. It was one of the weirder family settings - Astrid and Lisa were sat doing their homework on the bed using the trolley table as a surface while Serenity sat in a chair talking with Euphy. Then
Joe Naylor, one of the Royal Medical Team, put his head around the door "Your Majesty can we have a word?" he asked
"Sure." Serenity said, she got up and walked out of the room and found that Joe had been joined by
Maddy Dale who was the Royal Physician "What's going on?"
"As you know we have security clearance so we get to see certain things, we get to be aware of certain things." Maddy said
"Yes." Serenity said
"Were it not for that we wouldn't raise this with you but we've got the DNA results back for Euphemia's potential donors" Joe said "Any of them would be a suitable and we'd recommend Sophia just based on age and health."
"So what's the issue?" Serenity asked
"I don't think that Sophia and Euphemia are sisters." Joe said "The DNA markers aren't there, there's enough to say they're related but they're not siblings. I ran them past Maddy and she agrees."
"So Sophia is an Anselmo but isn't Euphy's sister?" Serenity said "How hard to find out just who she is?"
"We've got all the DNA samples so we'd have to run a few comparisons." Joe said "Might take a couple of days."
"Do it in house and let's not advertise it." Serenity said
At the Marble Palace the latest meeting on the issue was going on "It just doesn't make sense." Rion said from where she stood looking out of the study window at the gardens.
"What doesn't?" Peter asked
"Any of it." Rion said "Last time around with Charles I'd have bought a power play all day long. But with what we know now? It doesn't add up."
"Reason?" Peter asked
"Lack of motive." Rion said "If we're going to say that Charles Ofdensen, Alex Rowe, Groves, Lucius Stanley, Sumire Abruscato, Lancaster etc were all party to the same conspiracy then where's the motive? Power? They already had it - Charles was Lord High Steward, Rowe was a prominent and highly respected military officer and is now the Grand Marshall he's the most senior rank in the Rokkenjiman military, Lucius Stanley is the Empress's lawyer. They're in positions of power or would be, consider what happens if the Andean Genocide doesn't happen - Henry Cole is still going to retire at some point so Rowe still gets to be Grand Marshall, Lucius Stanley retains position, Ofdensen is probably still Lord High Steward, Evanthe's viceregent, Asuna's Crown Princess, Beatrice is Empress and most critically she's still likely doped up to the eyeballs the perfect puppet, that's the position you want if you're these conspirators so why throw it away?"
"You mean why sign the Mentorship?" Peter asked
"Yeah." Rion said "Too much of a risk, why expose yourselves like that? Because you're either going down or you're putting Beatrice down either way you're losing the position of power."
"Have you got an answer?" Peter asked
"The only answer that makes sense is that all of them are expendable pieces in someone elses game." Rion said "Kado and I had this figured at four individuals I think there's a fifth, I think there's someone pulling all the strings and we don't know who that is, but we do have a good bet on the endgame - put this blank canvas, this sibling, on the Rokkenjiman throne and presumably influence them."
"Where are we on finding them?" Nettie asked
"We haven't pulled anything off of the hard drive about it but we may not need to." Rion said "If we've only been looking at pieces then each piece has a purpose..."
"Sumire Abruscato." Sakura said "Surrogacy?"
"You don't exactly let this Anselmo's existence be known outside a tight circle." Rion said
"And it's going to be military doctors loyal to Rowe or it's going to be Anausa loyal to Charles." Peter said "There's not going to be a record of Sumire giving birth anywhere."
"No there isn't." Rion said "But there will be a birth certificate for whoever that child is."
"Ok I'll have a word with the relevant authorities and see what we get from Sumire if anything." Peter said "Rion you stay the hell on preparing for the next step here because if there's an Anselmo sibling out there who's a piece in this puzzle then you know that means probably former Anausa in play."
"I know." Rion said
"Ok now tell me about this legal stuff." Peter said
"If Lucius Stanley wasn't already involved in this I'd be questioning whether he ever went to law school." Kumiko Arkwright, the Chief of Staff, said "It's pressure application."
"Yes it is." Adam Sheppard said "Alex Rowe is a soldier, he knows how to recognise stress and he knows how ill prepared Asuna was for the throne, so he piles on the pressure because he knows that if he can make her snap then he invalidates her, he discredits her and she's no longer Empress and that opens the path to the mystery sibling."
"It's more than that, if the perjury thing ever got to appeal the first question Beatrice gets asked is did she have a phone conversation with Barren?" Nettie said "She answers yes then it's not perjury but then you have the Morelanders likely wanting a word or two about it they might even take a shot at extradition. And that's before we question the perceived influence Barren could have over Asuna, it's non existent in reality but there's enough to start the rumours."
"And the thing with Kado?" Peter asked
"Asuna's ill advised press release didn't name names but put people on notice so a reaction had to happen that's why the INIS arrested people. There was always going to be blowback which is the SIS arresting twelve INIS agents, now I'm hoping that Kado actually showed the SCJ evidence of the twelve agents whereabouts that proves they were nowhere near the scene of the crime on the night in question because otherwise it looks a whole lot more shady." Rion said "It allows Rowe to play the victim and he's playing a blinder."
"So what's his next move?" Peter asked
"He needs to pick a fight and I think he's already picked it." Rion said
"Kusan right?" Adam said, Rion nodded
"Complicity where it's not proven." Nettie said "Would have been enough ten years ago."
"That may be true but I don't think Kusan is party to this." Rion said "It doesn't add, they're the fall guy and I think Rowe and these other conspirators need to cover something up."
"You know what I'm going to say." Peter said
"I'm on the next flight down there." Rion said
"What's his next move now the evidence has failed to convince?" Peter asked
"If it's a fight with Kusan he wants he'll find a way to force one or at least try to force one." Rion said "I've got an idea of what I think the play is and I'll liaise with the MDI to counter it."
"Ok you work on stopping their end run, take their legs out if needed." Peter said