“Your Majesty, as you may know, a few years ago my younger brother Ghreni went to End to represent our interests there. In the time since, he has become a confidant and advisor to the Duke of End, who has been fending off a well-organized and well-funded rebellion. Your father and parliament authorized further funding and equipping of the duke and his forces, if not the direct, overt involvement of the marines at End’s Imperial Station. My brother wrote in his confidential reports that when news of that vote reached End, the rebels there vowed to retaliate.”

“You’re saying this is the work of End rebels?” Cardenia asked.

“My brother’s reports are of course delayed by a substantial amount of time, ma’am,” Amit said. “This is one of the problems with a far-flung empire. News is slow if it comes at all. But, yes. My brother was emphatic on the point that they were planning something.”

“When was this report from your brother?”

“We received it roughly three standard months ago, ma’am, which means he filed it nine months earlier.”

“And you did not think to inform our father?”

“The House of Nohamapetan did not presume to trouble your father on the matter without further investigation, especially during his illness. We have confidential reports from all our system representatives, which outline all sorts of local unrest, wherever our interests are. This proclamation was not in itself that noteworthy. Also, our analysts presumed that any retaliation would be focused on imperial interests on End, not here. You may be assured that Ghreni, my brother, would have informed local imperial authorities so they could take precautions. In retrospect, of course, we should have shared the information further. I apologize, ma’am.”

“No one thought they would have this far a reach,” Archbishop Korbijn said.

“You represent the executive committee here,” Cardenia said, to her. “Tell us what their thinking is.”

“Their thinking is livid,” Korbijn said. “An attempted assassination on the day of your coronation. The damage at one of the church’s holiest places. And scores murdered in a cowardly attack on innocents. The committee is ready to support you whatever you decide to do, ma’am. As will the guilds, the parliament and, I most strenuously assure you, the church.”

“We all stand ready,” Amit said.

Cardenia nodded. “We thank you.” She turned to Limbar. “Your thoughts on this End theory?”

“We need to investigate further, but the information Lord Nohamapetan has already shared with us is compelling. We’re looking for any End nationals here on Xi’an and Hub and digging into their histories to see what comes up. If there’s a connection here, we will find it.”

“Find it soon,” Cardenia said.

“Yes, ma’am.”