06-23-2014, 08:12 PM
In the wake of Michael's departure, Nikolai crossed to a golden framed mirror. The fix of his eyes were blue ice. His black hair was arranged specifically. The tailed coat was immaculately tailored to his shape. Every crease and seam was sheer perfection. The tuxedo was one of the great designers of Moscow; Nikolai would allow for nothing less.
The clothing sufficed, but his gaze was settled specific. The image of himself was closer to being right than ever before.
As he departed the Royal Apartments, he gently closed the lid on the box. His fingers grazed the logo of the Imperial Treasury on the outside, but there was little time to consider the significance of the event a moment longer. He had thought about it for twenty-five years.
***
He greeted his Chief of Staff, Viktor Stepanovich. The Deputy-Consul was a graying man in his late fifties, but sharp of mind and foresight. He was commanding in his own tuxedo and attendants, but the moment he saw Nikolai, he jerked to a sudden stop, eyes drawn upward.
Nikolai held his gaze like a hawk, satisfied with the Consul's reaction. "Are we ready?"
Viktor blinked.
He swallowed his surprise and thrust a hand toward one of the staffers whom Nik recognized as Lapin. "Saint Andrew hall is ready. Two-hundred guests. The Kremlin press corps have their usual representation and the foreign press corps are arrived, excluding Nicholas Trano, of course. Intelligence has him on route to the States."
They took the Grand Staircase together. Nikolai was followed by a pair of CSS Barrier preaetor agents. Two more waited at the bottom of the stairs.
Nikolai nodded. "Good."
Viktor continued the briefing. The situation in DV was quickly wrapping up, and the Consulates were controlling the market's reaction. The Brazilian exchange, BM&F Bovespa dipped in the wake of the disturbance, but the Office of the Privilege of DV was already working new contracts that would increase Brazilian confidence.
"Any change with Shenzhen?"
The Chinese stock exchange had been strangely inert.
"No, Ascendancy. The lack of reaction is unnerving. Colonel Arsenyev will have an update within the hour."
Nik nodded. ZARS were working on the situation with Shenzhen around the clock. Nikolai did not doubt success in their task.
They took the corner at the bottom of the stairs, and the glorious breadth of Alexander hall opened to them. What was normally an opulent ballroom of green and gold was presently dressed for Christmas. Every inch of it represented the empire, represented Nikolai.
"Good."
"And the corrections to my speeches I forwarded?"
Their words were already turning in his mind. He was a skilled orator, but even talent required tuning.
"Consul Bykov edited them himself,"
Viktor reassured. With nothing else from Nikolai, the Deputy-Consul stopped himself before turning aside, "And Ascendancy, the Sigma is here as well."
The speech making paused in his mind, and Nikolai thought on the young man for a moment. With the repercussions of DV occupying his attention, Marcus DuBois had not entered his focus for some time. He nodded his thanks and Viktor excused himself.
At the end of a long stretch of red carpet stood a pair of twenty-foot tall bronze doors that sealed the entrance to the second, and grander, ballroom. On the other side, Andrew Hall would blaze like the sun in all its power. Viktor disappeared through an alternate route to see to the Ascendancy's formal announcement while Nikolai followed the scroll of red carpeting to the doors alone.
He held himself before them, patient as one of the Kremlin's many statues. A Barrier agent stood on either side, although they remained out of immediate view of those inside when the doors were pulled open.
This moment was carefully designed to elicit a specific emotional reaction from those within. The Grand Palace at Christmas. The Kremlin in all its strength and glory. The Ascendancy, an emissary of hope in a world of chaos. In the wake of the Operation in Jeddah, his mere presence would galvanize their loyalty.
Such was why Nikolai commissioned the artisans of the Imperial Treasury.
Within, the announcement was made. The room fell to silence, and the doors parted.
The clothing sufficed, but his gaze was settled specific. The image of himself was closer to being right than ever before.
As he departed the Royal Apartments, he gently closed the lid on the box. His fingers grazed the logo of the Imperial Treasury on the outside, but there was little time to consider the significance of the event a moment longer. He had thought about it for twenty-five years.
***
He greeted his Chief of Staff, Viktor Stepanovich. The Deputy-Consul was a graying man in his late fifties, but sharp of mind and foresight. He was commanding in his own tuxedo and attendants, but the moment he saw Nikolai, he jerked to a sudden stop, eyes drawn upward.
Nikolai held his gaze like a hawk, satisfied with the Consul's reaction. "Are we ready?"
Viktor blinked.
He swallowed his surprise and thrust a hand toward one of the staffers whom Nik recognized as Lapin. "Saint Andrew hall is ready. Two-hundred guests. The Kremlin press corps have their usual representation and the foreign press corps are arrived, excluding Nicholas Trano, of course. Intelligence has him on route to the States."
They took the Grand Staircase together. Nikolai was followed by a pair of CSS Barrier preaetor agents. Two more waited at the bottom of the stairs.
Nikolai nodded. "Good."
Viktor continued the briefing. The situation in DV was quickly wrapping up, and the Consulates were controlling the market's reaction. The Brazilian exchange, BM&F Bovespa dipped in the wake of the disturbance, but the Office of the Privilege of DV was already working new contracts that would increase Brazilian confidence.
"Any change with Shenzhen?"
The Chinese stock exchange had been strangely inert.
"No, Ascendancy. The lack of reaction is unnerving. Colonel Arsenyev will have an update within the hour."
Nik nodded. ZARS were working on the situation with Shenzhen around the clock. Nikolai did not doubt success in their task.
They took the corner at the bottom of the stairs, and the glorious breadth of Alexander hall opened to them. What was normally an opulent ballroom of green and gold was presently dressed for Christmas. Every inch of it represented the empire, represented Nikolai.
"Good."
"And the corrections to my speeches I forwarded?"
Their words were already turning in his mind. He was a skilled orator, but even talent required tuning.
"Consul Bykov edited them himself,"
Viktor reassured. With nothing else from Nikolai, the Deputy-Consul stopped himself before turning aside, "And Ascendancy, the Sigma is here as well."
The speech making paused in his mind, and Nikolai thought on the young man for a moment. With the repercussions of DV occupying his attention, Marcus DuBois had not entered his focus for some time. He nodded his thanks and Viktor excused himself.
At the end of a long stretch of red carpet stood a pair of twenty-foot tall bronze doors that sealed the entrance to the second, and grander, ballroom. On the other side, Andrew Hall would blaze like the sun in all its power. Viktor disappeared through an alternate route to see to the Ascendancy's formal announcement while Nikolai followed the scroll of red carpeting to the doors alone.
He held himself before them, patient as one of the Kremlin's many statues. A Barrier agent stood on either side, although they remained out of immediate view of those inside when the doors were pulled open.
This moment was carefully designed to elicit a specific emotional reaction from those within. The Grand Palace at Christmas. The Kremlin in all its strength and glory. The Ascendancy, an emissary of hope in a world of chaos. In the wake of the Operation in Jeddah, his mere presence would galvanize their loyalty.
Such was why Nikolai commissioned the artisans of the Imperial Treasury.
Within, the announcement was made. The room fell to silence, and the doors parted.