A Hundred Paces Nearer to Justice [Adalwolfa, Alastair]

Though it was all well and good to have enjoyed the sights of the city, there was one particular political matter that Ada could hardly ignore when it came to her visit here in the Vandenreich's home. The Vandenreich was, after all, already a group with which the Empire worked closely, and so any new Grandmaster would have merited attention from the Imperial Household. This particular new Grandmaster, however, was one of their own subjects, and so Ada walked to her appointment with a decided pride, not in herself, of course, but in the man she was meeting. She walked into the office at the exact appointed time, to the very second, smile bright as she greeted the man warmly.

"Good afternoon, Grandmaster Eisfluch. I'm honored that you'd have me on such short notice."

Of course, it would have likely been considered a little bit of a faux pas not to accept Ada's request for an audience, but she wouldn't have actually minded that, or considered it any kind of failing on the Grandmaster's behalf. She was here pretty suddenly, after all, so it wouldn't really be sensible for anyone to expect that time could absolutely be made for her. Things were busy for the Vandenreich, after all.

Even before joining the Vandenreich, Alastair had been familiar with the Burgstaller family and what they represented. He was not so arrogant as to believe that the Emperor had ever heard his name before his recent rise to prominence, but the restoration of the Holy Roman Empire had been a joyous occasion for many of the nationals that had opted to serve within the Vandenreich. Patriotism had been indoctrinated into him from a young age, and his motivating desire to impart a positive change on the world was at least partially inspired by the work of those that now ruled over a sizeable portion of mainland Europe. The news that the Princess had arrived in the City had made certain his expectation that this meeting was going to occur, but Alastair would also never have dared to summon her of his own volition.

Her punctuality was appreciated, though, and she would find Alastair waiting to receive her close to the door rather than behind the desk or away to one side. He was dressed in his typical formalwear, sharp and clean-shaven, but that was less a matter of impressing Ada than it was simply how he always carried himself.

“The honour is mine, Princess Adalwolfa. Relations between the Empire and the Vandenreich are of particular import to myself, so I am grateful for the opportunity to meet you in person.”

He walked alongside her as they travelled across the length of his office, the spacious room providing a commanding view of the city beneath them whilst remaining austere in its decoration and adornment. Only when they had arrived at the desk did he part to move around to the far side and take his own seat.

“Now, how can I be of service?”

Even for someone as sharply dressed and knowledgeable on fashion as Ada, there was a presence to the Grandmaster and how he carried himself that made her briefly wonder if she had dressed properly in comparison. Elegant black certainly did wonders, of course, and she had hardly worn anything particularly gaudy. Naturally, she knew it was perfect, but she was impressed by his confidence.

"Naturally, first and foremost would be a formal congratulations on behalf of the Imperial House. We're overjoyed that a subject of ours would take up a position of such importance, but of course, we still intend to treat you as the leader of the Vandenreich as an independent entity first and foremost."

Despite having spent her time away from politics for many decades, Ada hadn't ever forgotten her teachings in that field, and she'd certainly developed her interpersonal skills in that time. Her approach was a bit less harsh than her father's, of course.

"Things have been busy, but I wanted to get an idea of what you intend for the future of your organization."

"I am again honoured that the Imperial House extends such a kindness to me. We may represent different factions but I believe that now more than ever is a time for unity."

When Alastair spoke, it was with a self-assuredness that made his words seem like they were already a reality. Not that they were too far from the truth, but there was a stoic fervour to the Grandmaster that dissuaded any thought of disagreement from having ever crossed his mind. The Holy Roman Empire had been his home for most of his life, he would not entertain the notion that they could not still see eye-to-eye.

"Previous Imperial support of the Vandenreich's international peacekeeping efforts gave my predecessor and I confidence in the stability of mainland Europe after the years of turmoil it suffered at the hands of the demonic invaders, I would look to reciprocate that in turn."

Of course, he could have simply left it at that and pursued further pleasantries, but Alastair had been preparing for this meeting for several weeks now. The circumstances may have been different to what he had once envisaged, but the purpose had not changed. Rusty orange eyes narrowed slightly in Ada's direction as if he were taking measure of her for a moment, before softening slightly as he allowed the faintest of smiles to curl the corners of his lips. Politics did not come to him easily, he had been raised properly and knew well his curtsies but the subtle nuance had never served him well. Instead, much as he would on the battlefield, he would simply take the bull by its horns.

"The Kingdom of Italy is of particular interest to me of late, after the demise of Lady Duvalier and the decline of the Duvalier Group. Were I to speak plainly, to a trusted ally such as yourself, I would note that the Italian Government is wavering as the significant financial aid that was once provided to them slowly begins to dry up. Whilst I could take direct measures to support them, maintaining as much infrastructure as can be from the wreckage that the Duvaliers have left behind, my Vandenreich is not here to take charge of entire countries. Instead, if the Emperor is willing, I could mediate talks between the Empire and the Italians to further promote this unity which I think we both desire."

"Oh? Yes, we're certainly interested in propping Italy back up, of course. We've already spent no small amount of time in the north of the country keeping things at least a little more meaningfully secure. If you think you have the leverage to make meaningful headway in that department, then by all means, Grandmaster Eisfluch, the Empire would be perfectly willing to take responsibility for the nation's subjects."

Ada knew, of course, that imperial sprawl and expansion was far from her father's ambition. It was hardly her own, either. But it would have been irresponsible to simply leave any nation to its own devices after it had been ruined by outside forces. This was not some aggressive integration of unwilling citizens; this was, realistically, the only ethical course of action with the authority that she carried.

"Claudia Duvalier's death will likely have other far-reaching ramifications as time goes on, I imagine. Her work was something that the Emperor was quite dedicated to seeing mitigated whenever possible, and the Empire will naturally continue to assist as necessary. We cannot, of course, guarantee that we will be able to provide this same degree of care to every domain under her former control, but for the present, I will gladly pledge our full attention to Italy."

"Then I will begin making arrangements for a diplomatic summit with the Italian premiership posthaste, and inform them to expect an Imperial delegation to join us for the discussions. Together we can make the best future for those innocent lives caught in the crossfire of this international incident.”

Alastair did not yet smile, for this was not truly a cause for celebration. He was entirely genuine in his belief that this would spare innocent lives from potential hardship, but it had only come about because of death and that was not the foundation upon which he wished to build a brighter future. Perhaps when these negotiations concluded he would find cause to do so, but for now he would have to content Ada with a solemn nod.

“Indeed, the impact of Lady Duvalier’s demise can be felt in every corner of the world. For better or worse. A majority of Vandenreich assets remain invested in the North American peninsula to make up for Duvalier shortcomings, but I would be grateful for any further assistance that the Empire could provide to us in the broader European theatre. At this moment, I cannot say exactly what shape that support will take but I hope you will appreciate my candour.”

His piece said, the Grandmaster settled a little deeper into his chair. Not to the point where one might even have the notion that he was being informal, a concept quite entirely alien to him, but perhaps a shade less rigid than before. He had done his part to extend the olive branch, but would be lying if he said that there was not a curiousity about the timing of her visit.

"Then I'll inform the emperor of the matter the moment we adjourn. I imagine he'll be quite glad to hear it. Italy has been a matter well in our sights, given its proximity to our borders, and the scope of the Duvalier Group's workings. I'll feel almost guilty to tell the Reichsritter assigned to the investigation that her evidence will never see a courtroom."

Well, assuming she was ever seen again, but that wasn't the immediately pressing matter. For now, Ada was content to simply continue this conversation on the fallout of Duvalier's sudden death, even if she had little in the way of sympathy for the late woman. Why should she? The death of evil wasn't something to be pitied.

"I do appreciate that straightforwardness, yes. I may be in politics, but that doesn't mean I find needless politicking very pleasant. The Empire will gladly maintain security in Europe, and we'll offer whatever logistical support is necessary to the Vandenreich's operations there."

It was convenient to be the voice of Imperial authority, seeing as any other diplomat would reasonably have been tied down by the necessity of speaking with the Emperor before making promises. Not so with Ada, of course. She knew her father better than anyone else, and had the moral standing necessary to make judgements just as he would.

It was a blessing in disguise that the Empire's conflict with the Duvalier Group had ended with a whimper, not a bang, as now there was a clear path to achieving a peaceful resolution for the Italian question. Then there would come the matter of France, and the other mainland European countries that were still reeling from the demonic incursions and all that had come after them, but those were future conversations. More bridges to be built upon the back of this foundation, if Alastair had his way entirely.

"I am sure that the hard work of your Reichsritter can still be put to use if we might pool our resources. There were more factors in play within the organisation than just the woman in charge, and, though that death may have toppled the house of cards, I imagine many miscreants will have scattered to the wind."

Naturally, speaking with the Princess directly rather than a lesser-ranking official did have perks for both sides. Alastair certainly did not doubt that earning a little respect from her would go a long way in ensuring that this bond only solidified as time went on, but it was more than that to him. He had a great deal of personal respect for Ada too, as he did for the Emperor himself, and seeing her acknowledgement firsthand was reassurance enough that this was the correct choice.

"And therein lies the future of the Vandenreich, for as long as this current status quo remains. I would not assume that this will be the only challenge I face in my tenure here, but I hope it provides the Empire with a degree of assurance in my intentions. Have you any more to ask of me, at least in an official capacity?"

"Oh, undoubtedly. We'll be picking up the pieces of this collapse for a long time, I think. I wouldn't have preferred the organization stay intact, of course, but I would have preferred to get rid of it all in one piece."

Of course Ada understood the role that the Duvalier Group had played in maintaining some stability, but that had always been a false peace maintained by the suffering of others. Some could say all peace was the same as that, but she thought that was a stupid outlook to have. The Empire had been rebuilt on good and honorable might by the hands of its people and its leader; anything less was not something she would abide simply out of pragmatism.

"Not in an official capacity, no. And you? I know that plenty has happened recently, and you've only recently taken charge. If there's anything else the Imperial House can do to help, don't be afraid to ask."

He considered for a moment whether the matter of the Duvalier Group demanded any further discussion, but it was certainly no secret of the Empire’s stance on the matter and Alastair saw little value in inviting the possibility of being seen as a sympathiser. He had no love for what had been their crooked purpose, his greatest desire being to turn them from that path, but there was a pain that lingered when he thought of them. Of the woman he had not been able to redeem.

“I believe it would be unbecoming of me to ask for more now, Princess. It must be made clear to the rest of the world that the Vandenreich can stand on its own two feet. That we are still moving forwards after the tragedies we have suffered. So, thank you, but you have already done enough for us at this time.”

The thought of asking for more did not truly register as a feasible idea, even if Ada might have approved it. To be a good ally, one needed to be just as dependable as they were able to be depended upon.