The Rise of Konokov

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

i.

Prince Yuri Reyik strolled through the palace corridor, it was a boring summer day in the quiet palace; the well-dressed palace guards remained silent, somehow it was “illegal” to talk to royalty. Yuri continued to true and leave the palace, his brother always in the way. “You never know if those Commie bastards are out there to get us”. Stefan irritated him, he had been brought up in the Nationalist hype against the North, but Yuri however found it odd. He ventured into the courtyard and sat by the outer palace wall, he listened to the city outside. Yuri had of course seen the world outside, he’d just never been within it, the palace was under strict guard; the “communist threat” was ever large.

“Brother, you know it’s not safe. They’re always out there” Stefan chuckled, he was followed by an IKA officer named Krien Honne. Honne walked in wearing a white officer’s dress, no medals of valour or combat, only of royal service. The two of them made numerous jokes before Yuri stood up and walked past them stepping back into the palace building. He decided he would visit his mother in the Central wing.

Queen Victoria Reyik sat talking to a group of politicians who had brought he laws that required Royal accent. Yuri did not like Prime Minister Ruben Nevin, he had masterminded the Nationalist take over, and deemed the Independents’ susceptible to corruption and “outside” influence. Ruben was however not a corrupt man, and despite Yuri despising him and his views, he respected the man mind, his intelligence was second to none; but Ruben would be Yuri’s chance to escape the palace and experience his own country. “Mother, may I speak” Yuri said stepping forward and bowing to his mother, she turned and smiled. “But of course my dear, how are you?” she replied.

“I am fine mother, I have a request” he responded. His mother stared waiting for him to continue. “I wish to leave the palace for a few days, see the country” Ruben stood tall looking him down “Dangerous outside the palace” he said with a sense of fake worry. Yuri looked him straight in the eyes. “If there was such a danger those guards would be out on the street fighting insurgent instead of standing around a well-furnished palace sweating in their britches. Eleine, Yuri and Stefan’s younger sister giggled in the corner of the room.

Yuri decided to try and call Ruben’s bluff “Sure if their a threat to best way to catch a hidden insurgent is to lure them out, so I say I should be granted leave of the palace” Ruben looked angered, even though he had no authority over the Royal family, he hated his authority and his word being questioned. “You may leave, but you will be under guard” his mother spoke and four Royal guards stepped forward and bowed.

Yuri dressed in a suit, something that seemed casual but wouldn’t get him lost in a crowd. Satisfied, he turned to see a glum royal guard standing by his door, “Smile soldier, we’re going on a journey”. “You won’t find anything against Ruben in this city, or anywhere in the South. It’s the North where his lies lie” the Guard spoke suddenly. Yuri was startled, “Say again”.

The guard bowed and walk toward him. “My father owned businesses in the North, he hates the Commie’s to – But – He always told me one thing. Communist leave no one in poverty” he began, “Ruben claims the communist citizen lives in squalor, they all live in comfort, not luxury bearing in mind they’re communist’s but no one suffers”. He guard had left Yuri in a state of amazement. “Any more information for me?” he asked.

“The insurgency does exist but it doesn’t” the guard smiled turning away “It’s called the Northern Border Guard Force, they aren’t the militias we remember hearing about. They number in the thousands. But we benefit from them hugely” Yuri stepped forward and walked with him through the palace hall, “how so?” the Guard smiled “well, first they hate the empire; and secondly they’re looking North, not South”. Yuri and the guard walked calmly toward to palace door and into the summer air of the capital.