Editing Tytania:Volume 3 Chapter 9 (section)

=== II ===
As for Idris, who had been branded a “conspirator at the side” by both dukes, he could not simply surrender himself to fury. His attempt to first deal with matters within his own clan might have been an action that demonstrated the very essence of his way of thinking.

He summoned Lady Theresa, the mother of the late Zarlisch, to his office. It was, in truth, an interrogation.

“Duchess, I have summoned you because there is something I wish to ask. Though, you may already suspect the nature of this meeting.”

“Well, I wonder what it could be.”

The Duchess’ eyes moved restlessly, unable to settle.

“I ask that you do not play the fool. Duchess, the other day you said that this was Jouslain’s doing. On what grounds did you make such a claim?”

“Oh my, how strange.”

Lady Theresa deliberately caused the heavy flesh of her throat to quiver.

“What do you mean, ‘strange’?”

“It’s just that, Lord Idris, it sounded as though you were defending Jouslain.”

“I merely wish to remain impartial, Duchess.”

“Oh, is that so? And here I thought you would be delighted.”

“Why on earth should I rejoice in His Clanner Highness’ misfortune? Please, do not try to evade the question. Madam, is it not possible that you yourself dispatched the assassins to harm His Clanner Highness, all in an attempt to frame Lord Jouslain?”

Idris intended to shock the Duchess into a state of psychological vulnerability, forcing her to confess everything. However, the effect of such a potent accusation was too powerful. Duchess Theresa let out a piercing shriek and recoiled, falling to the floor along with her chair. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and tiny white bubbles froth at the corners of her mouth.

From that point on, Duchess Theresa Tytania suffered recurrent bouts of hysteria and was confined to a special hospital room. To prepare for the surges of her violent outbursts, all the luxurious furnishings had their corners rounded and smoothed, thick padding was embedded into the walls, and even meals that could only be described as exquisite were served on paper tableware. Two female doctors and six sturdy nurses were stationed in her room.

Once the measures had been completed, Idris felt a sense of mental relief. Although he had failed to extract any vital information, these precautions ensured that Duchess Theresa would be treated as an incompetent, thereby preventing the nightmare for the whole of Tytania that she would hold a seat on the Council of the Five Families. If this was indeed the conclusion, it was such a pathetic end that the late Zarlisch would undoubtedly have let out a roar of fury.

Having taken a moment to catch his breath, Idris set about dealing with a certain matter involving a woman. The subject was Countess Theodora Tytania, as several whispered reports had reached him claiming that she had been instigating Lady Theresa’s political ambitions.

When Theodora entered the office after being summoned, Idris did not even offer her a chair. He directed all the venom in his being towards her through his eyes and his words:

“I am impressed that you did not flee.”

“And why should I have fled, Lord Idris, confidant to His Clanner Highness?”

“Do not play coy, you vixen!”

Idris hurled abuse at her. As if striking them like a drawn blade. Theodora maintained her outward composure, casting a chilling gaze at Idris before settling into the armchair in front of the desk. Idris did not go so far as to ask, ''“Who said you could sit?”'', and proceeded immediately to the judgement.

Although they had been acquainted in the bedchamber prior to the Clanner’s injury, Idris had cast aside even the slightest hint of false sweetness to fulfil his duty as an inquisitor. He presented various reports, decrying Theodora’s crime of visiting Theresa and instigating her to seek a seat at the Council of the Five Families.

“If I may ask, how exactly does that constitute a crime?” replied Theodora, a thin smile gracing her lips. “I was not suggesting that we should oust anyone. I was merely proposing that a single candidate be seated in a vacant position. That the choice happens to be Lady Theresa was simply a political decision, and I do not believe it is something that should be treated as a crime.”

“How dare you speak so brazenly?” asked Idris while grounding his teeth. “Your so-called political decision was nothing more than an attempt to place Lady Theresa in that seat so that you may pull her strings from behind the scenes and seize actual power. You would do well to remember your place.”

Despite Idris’ fierce condemnation, Theodora remained composed, meeting the Acting Clanner’s gaze head-on.

“Even if that were true, that would be a matter between Lady Theresa and myself. Furthermore, once one becomes a member of the Five Dukes, it is only natural to have staff and advisors. What harm is there in me fulfilling that role as a friend to Lady Theresa?”

“A friend would be appalled to hear that. I wonder which dictionary defines one-sidedly exploiting and manipulating someone as friendship?”

“I have no reason to take a sermon on friendship from someone like you. You don’t have a single friend to your name!”

If Theodora’s goal had been to wound Idris, she had certainly achieved it. Though the colour on Idris’ face, which had briefly turned the shade of fluorescent paper, had returned in less than two seconds, his suppressed passion bled into his voice, causing his shout for the guards to fail to quite reach a full yodel. Even the six sturdy soldiers who entered the room at his command could not hide their look of bewilderment.

“Guards! Place this woman under house arrest. Forbid her from leaving, and check every visitor. Censor all telephone calls and mail, and submit a report at the appointed time every day.”

Idris spat those words out as he stared at Theodora’s face, which looked as though it had been coated in white paint.

“Do not be seduced by that vixen. Unless I give the order myself, you are never to release this woman from house arrest.”

“As you wish. And until when shall this arrangement remain in place?”

“Until I say so.”

Idris waved his left hand from low to high, signalling her to depart. Theodora rose with a posture that could have been described as elegant, but her internal mutterings failed to reach Idris.

“Hmph, coward! Go ahead and let the weight of power you cannot even carry crush you all by yourself. I shall look forward to seeing how things stand in a hundred days…”

As Theodora was escorted out by the guards, Idris turned to the closed door and muttered “vixen” once more, giving voice to his bitter resentment.

“Good heavens, I don’t have a single reliable ally. Must I truly do everything alone…?”

The monopoly on power was, at the same time, a confirmation of isolation. It seemed the previous system of governance, maintained by the five families, had possessed certain advantages. Idris absolutely refused to admit that the leadership of both Ariabert in foreign expeditions and Jouslain in domestic affairs had been exceptional.

Now that the figure had dropped from plus two, past zero, to minus two, this change in numerical value translated directly into an increased burden of responsibility weighing upon Idris’ shoulders. While Idris was managing the challenges well enough on his own, that was only because war had not yet broken out between the two Tytania factions; it was clear that once full-scale combat commenced, Idris’ already saturated capacity for handling affairs would collapse.

“I cannot leave this place, even for half a day. If someone were to launch a coup in support of His Clanner Highness during the interval that I am away from Uraniborg, the consequences would be catastrophic.”

No one possessed enough power within Uraniborg to launch a coup. Even though he knew this, he could not sweep his anxieties away. Idris ceased his return to the Vardana court in his capacity as Minister of Military Affairs. While he had not abdicated his position as Minister, he had instead appointed a subordinate to act in his stead, while he himself remained at Uraniborg.

In this manner, His Imperial Majesty Harsha&nbsp;VI of the Vardana Empire came to enjoy an unexpected blessing. Idris had vanished from the court. Although the Undersecretary of Military Affairs acting as his deputy was a subordinate of Idris and undoubtedly served as a watchdog over the Emperor, Idris had been more than merely a symbol of Tytania used to pressure Harsha&nbsp;VI. He was personally hated by the Emperor. Thus, this development filled His Imperial Majesty with sheer delight.

It was not only these veiled examples; Idris was also facing outright condemnation.

“Think of it carefully. Who stands to gain from the Clanner’s injury and period of convalescence? Who is the one who has managed to seize dictatorial power within Uraniborg? It is the consensus of all eyes, the verdict of all people: it is Idris. The mastermind behind this incident, this catastrophe, is none other than Idris. What we seek is to strip Idris of his unjust position and power, and we harbour not a single thought of rebellion against His Clanner Highness. We are the true loyalists of His Clanner Highness, and it is Idris who is the treacherous official. Let all of Tytania unite to strike down the traitor, Idris!”

When Idris was informed that this was part of the declaration made by Ariabert, Jouslain, and the two dukes, he let out a roar of fury.

“They are no longer dukes, but mere criminals! Are the regular forces of Tytania to obey a commander of criminals? Do they have no concept of righteousness?!”

Reports suggested that the soldiers of the Bargash expeditionary force showed no sign of deserting the command of Ariabert and the others. That news unsettled Idris.

An officer named Captain Marshall spoke. He was the middle-aged officer with a black moustache who had caught Idris from behind during the attempted assassination of the Clanner.

“Your Grace the Duke, what is required is simply to convince the world that His Highness Clanner Ajman is safe and well and that His Highness’ full trust remains with you.”

“And exactly how do you propose I do that?”

“It is a highly fearsome suggestion, but I propose that His Clanner Highness stand before the communication screen and express your trust in Your Grace Idris with your own voice. If you do so, the soldiers of the expeditionary force will cast aside their doubts and restore their loyalty to Uraniborg.”

“So you are saying that no matter what I say myself, the troops simply will not believe me?”

“Your Grace, that is…”

“No, I understand. I spoke unnecessarily; forget it. I shall keep your opinion in mind, Captain. Furthermore, I want you to continue to speak your mind whenever you notice something.”

Even Idris occasionally felt grateful for the counsel of his subordinates. However, as long as he could not even draw the Clanner from his sickbed, even the best of strategies remained impossible to implement.

The only saving grace, it seemed, was that the wife and children of Clanner Ajman made no attempt to restrain Idris. They devoted themselves solely to nursing Ajman, and they seldom ever interacted with Idris.

As a tradition of Tytania, the wives and children of the Clanner and the four dukes did not participate in, nor were they permitted to participate in, the core of the administration. In ancient dynasties, there were instances where a Queen Mother was forced to commit suicide upon the birth of a male heir to prevent the Empress and her kin from privatising state power. While Tytania did not go quite that far, it had always strongly excluded the interference of in-laws, as a principle of governance that held lineage as supreme, or perhaps because of that principle.

In any case, Idris had to select those who would assist him in his immediate circle. And he had to do so urgently.