The Rise of Konokov

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

i.

Alexi woke up at noon, two maid looked down at him, one grinning, one not. They placed his clean clothes on a table by the bed and left. Alexi got out of bed and washed before getting dressed; as he fixed his cap and ensured his rifle was loaded but the safe catch locked, Yuri walked in “for the duration of your visit you are Commissar Alexi Rekov, and I am Prince Yuri Reyik” Commissar Rekov acknowledged the new formality, it was advisable. Prince Reyik led him from the room, the guards didn’t move or make a sound; it was evident to Rekov that these were the same hand-picked guards whom he’d travelled with. Prince Reyik opened a door along the corridor and spoke “Mother, family, I’d like you to meet someone” Rekov noticed he was now flanked with guards, the Commissar entered the room, the queen and many of the occupants gasped loudly. Several guards lifted their rifles, the Commissar stood still, then noticed the barrels poking passed his head; Prince Reyik’s hand-picked guard were pointing their rifles at the other guards.

“Stand down you fools, the Commissar poses no threat” Prince Reyik announced, “No threat; he’s a Communist!” Commissar turned to look at a seemingly anger Prince Stefan Reyik but he did not respond. The queen just looked at him silently, “I highly doubt a lone Commissar with his rifle latched to his back is any danger, especially when we have twenty guard would could kill him before he’d released the safety catch for that rifle”. The room calmed, but Stefan continued to appear hostile “We should tell Ruben that an insurgent is here” he said to his mother. Commissar Rekov turned to face Prince Reyik “The Prime Minister right, your majesty?” Prince Reyik nodded. “If think he’s nice” Commissar Rekov turned to his far lift to see a young princess “I’m Eleine” she said.

Commissar Rekov had stood there far fifteen minutes while Stefan argued with his mother over his arrival, Prince Reyik judge sat on a chair and grinned, Princess Eleine kept smiling at Commissar Rekov. Finally Stefan subsided, he had stopped talking; the queen looked up at the motionless Commissar “Welcome to our palace, and welcome to Penin” Commissar Rekov nodded. Another minutes later and he was offered a seat, he removed his rifle and tried to get comfy; despite Prince Reyik’s instruction, he found himself referring to the prince as Yuri within minutes, Stefan refused to talk to him directly, but Eleine seemed to be charmed by him. Alexi found himself looking around the room, paintings, the red carpet, the large space of the room held several chairs and tables around the edge of the room, it was a function area; gatherings could be held, maybe even parties.

An hour after meeting them, Alexi was engaged in conversation with the queen; she seemed highly interested in the north. Yuri was talking with his guards, possibly about security for when he met the parlianment which was sure was the idea. Stefan was continuing to complain about his presence to Eleine who barely paid attention. A guard walked in, spoke to the queen moment later Ruben walked in and saw the Commissar. “Arrest the insurgent!” he ordered his guards, they stepped forward but only to be faced with the barrels of Royal Guards rifles. “This commissar is a guest of the Royal family Minister Ruben” the queen spoke “your guards will stand down” she continued. Ruben sat down beside the queen and looked at Alexi, “So Commissar, what brings a communist to Penin” Alexi smiled and looked in the eyes “firstly, I’m not a communist, and to answer, peace with Penin”.

“End the insurgency and we can talk” Ruben responded arrogantly. Alexi smiled pulling out a newspaper with the headline Red insurgent captured. Counter-insurgency agents congratulated on hard work. “My commanders find these headlines and article to be confusing, firstly I’d like to meet this insurgent. I want to know who he is and if it’s true, why he was sent here”. Ruben frowned, “I’m afraid he is not available, he’s in a detention centre; he killed three IKA soldiers before we could stop him”, Alexi gave a disturbed look. Had his superiors actually been raging a secret war against their own people?