His last battle had gone well, and although complaining citizens had taxed his patience their concerns had been fended off with a few well-timed concessions. The Citizen’s Forum was really a masterpiece of forethought on his part. It had also been an exhausting eight hours on his feet in the desolate City Hall atrium polishing his shining public image.

That was why, at present, Jess Stanton was awkwardly slumped over in said seat - one designed more for correct posture than relaxation. The sun was just setting in the sky right now, producing that orange aura that was bright enough to walk home in and dark enough to fall asleep to. A tempting thought all in all, but the wiry chamberlain knew that to do so would be futile. It would be any minute now, he was certain. Head in hands, Jess looked wearily up at the brass-framed timepiece that graced the swirling marble beside his doorway. The countdown to the inevitable had begun.

Tick

Footsteps smashed through a cultivated silence.

Tock

Only a few more seconds. The chamberlain closed his eyes, trying to at least simulate the catnap he longed for with a temporary darkness.

Tick

He was able to daydream a little at least. …..Rest… croissants…

Tock

…Lady Anabelle… suddenly, Jess registered an aching pain in his shoulder. That damn chair was digging in to his back again.

Tick

As Jess rose from his somewhat undignified position a knock superseded the clock’s ominous countdown.

“Come in,” he invited, irritated.

A suited lackey slowly entered the office. He knew that it was his first month on the job, but did he always have to be the one to give Lord Jess news? It just wasn’t fair. Office gossip said that the chamberlain was in a really bad mood…

“Umm, Lady Ana..”

“Would like to see me. Could I please go to her office at once,” Jess interrupted sharply while staring down the minor orderly.

“Y-yes, sir.”

Well, it was obvious that his people had drafted the kid into giving him the message. The act was probably in hopes that the chamberlain would do something to the guy; this was the sort of thing that the senior clerks only inflicted on those damned by personality, incompetentcy, or office politics.

Briskly walking out of the room, his weariness well-masked, Jess offhandedly remarked to the youth.

“Find me a more comfortable chair. I’ll need it by the time I get out of Lady Anabelle’s office.”

“But sir, the shops aren’t even open right now…”

Jess looked back to once more to address his lackey as he locked the entrance to what was more his home than his house.

“I said that I needed a chair.”

The chamberlain did so hate to disappoint his senior staff; playing along with their little games bought him a measure of loyalty that a paycheque simply couldn’t. Besides, the moron wasn’t on the payroll to annoy useful people.

Lady Annabelle’s office was a familiar place, yet it oddly retained the ability to appear grandiose. She was good – very good. Not that he thought of her as anything more than an obstacle, of course.

The candlelight hit his superior’s auburn hair at just the right angle, transforming it into a shining mass of copper when she raised her head from a stack of documents. Somehow, her simple clothing made her look both intimidating and beautiful; an air he found alluring compared to the usual submissivness of those who worked under him. Jess caught himself before he started staring…

Okay, so she was a very pretty obstacle.

A very pretty obstacle that happened to be giving him one of those looks that warned of an impending storm. The chamberlain had known that she would find out; now it was time for damage control. Luckily, Jess had more than adequate experience in this area. One did not, after all, retain the position of deputy-mayor of Muse at the age of twenty-four through mental ability alone.

“I have word,” she threateningly purred, “that a certain tax break was proclaimed earlier by yourself. A tax break that was already offered in the official budget.”

“Why yes. The exemption was left out of the official literature. An accident at the printing press, I am told,” the chamberlain’s practiced façade held as he calmly replied. Flattery would do him no good in this situation, only skilled deception would work on the astute Anabelle.

She gave him an evaluating glance.

“An accident?” came the skeptical reply.

“It’s documented in the company’s files, if you would like me to fetch them.” Jess never did anything that was not thorough; silence and documentation had both been bought with a pitiful sum.

“No, that’s not necessary. We have more important things to discuss.”

Veiled eyes gave away nothing of her true perception of the incident. Whatever it was, however, she didn’t seem to be concerned. Jess inwardly congratulated himself: his job was safe and his reputation simply glowed because he had possessed the skill to take advantage of what was one of the most stressful days of the year. He didn’t realize that the day was not yet over.

“Roland here just arrived with a report for the North Sparrow Pass. Roland?”

A middle-aged, slightly greying nondescript man emerged from where he had stood hidden in the shadows of a tapestry. To remain unseen for so long… the man truly was an excellent spy.

“The Ryokan Unicorn Brigade, a group of..”

“We know who they are. Continue with what you told me,” Anabelle said dismissevly.

“Yes Ma’am. The Unicorn Brigade was massacred by troops supposedly form Jowston. The people of Highland are calling for war."

“Damn…” the chamberlain whispered under his breath.

“Agares Blight recently gave command of the Highland army to his son Ruka, meaning..” Anabelle said, the spy leaving the room at her gesture.

“That Ruka attacked his own recruits to rouse public opinion against Jowston,” Jess concluded with a sigh.

“My thoughts exactly.”

“I should have seen it coming. I was so sure that this was about those missing children…”

Their conversation continued for some time, with Anabelle ordering the close of all border checkpoints as well as an exhaustive inventory of funds, soldiers, and supplies in case of the outbreak of true war. Both would be mostly Jess' responsibility since the lady had to be more concerned with unitiy and defense of Jowston at this point. When Jess finally left - his advice duly noted - the candles which lit the room were beginning to gutter. While he walked away, her voice stalked him out into the hallway with a threatening lilt.

“Congratulations on you pacification of the people, Jess. I do not, however, appreciate being lied to. See that it does not happen again, or I may have to find a replacement.”

Jess gave an unseen smile. A very pretty, very formidable obstacle indeed. He knew that her threat carried no real weight, however. At the moment she needed him to be the people’s man just as much as he needed her to be the people’s legend.

That smile clung to his face as the chamberlain made his way back to his sanctuary, outside of which a plush and slightly used green chair awaited. Motioning a couple of clerks in from the main work area, he promptly ushered them into his office after pushing the seat into a neglected corner. Settling into his familiar wooden torture device, Jess began to orchestrate both the closure of the northern borders and what was possibly the most massive review of records in Muse history. His top employees and, in turn, their subordinates, were puzzled and guardedly annoyed at the countenance his superior wore while issuing orders that would rob them of sleep for days. Once more information came things would be even more excitingly hectic, presenting the civil service with an even heavier workload. For Jess, a good development all around. Opportunity knocked the most during times of trouble, and the ensuing chaos would serve him well.

It would be a long week, Jess decided, but it was worth it. He didn’t even notice the chair anymore, for the grin which lit up his face was genuine. This was what he lived for.