Page 124 of Heart of Iron
And if not with the Echelon, then who?Lena’s breath caught, her mind taking one of those swift leaps it sometimes did.“You can’t trust them!”she blurted.
Both Will and Astrid gave her a look.
“Trust who?”Astrid asked.
“The humanists.”
Astrid stilled.“Such talk is treason.Especially when I know whose enemy they truly are.”
“I would never betray you to the Echelon.”Lena swallowed.“You can trust me, because I was one of them until very recently.I know they intended to approach your delegations, to make their own deals with them.”
“We have been approached,” Astrid admitted reluctantly.
“They have their own agendas.I was instructed to stop this treaty at all costs.That’s what they truly want.They’re planning a war, Astrid.They have these enormous metal monsters they strap themselves into.Once they have enough of them to threaten even the Echelon, they’ll attack.”
“Will they succeed?”Astrid asked.
“I don’t think so,” Lena replied.“There are factions within the group.One side wishes to wait, to see what the Echelon will do.The others have tried to start a war already.They’re killing each other from within.”
Astrid released her breath.“Then they can offer me nothing.I need help now.”Her fist clenched.“I had hoped…” She shook her head.
Inspiration struck again.Suddenly Lena knew exactly what she had to do.They’d been wrong all along.Magnus might be the one in charge of the Norwegian party, but here was where the power lie.
“You need someone that you can trust.”Lena smiled brilliantly.“And we need you to sign our treaty.What if I could guarantee a way to have your voice heard as equal to the Swedish?”
Astrid’s eyes narrowed curiously.“And how would you perform this miracle?”
“Well,” she admitted.“I shall need a little help.”
Twenty-six
“I hope this works,” Will muttered.
“Trust me.”Lena’s smile radiated confidence.“I told you I know this world.”
The prince consort and his queen swept into the Grand Hall to much fanfare.Towering nearly a foot over Blade and Honoria, Will had a good visual of the room.
The Council waited silently, along with both parties of the Scandinavians.Leo Barrons rested at ease, barely aware of the plot that would soon sweep him up.Astrid needed someone she could trust and Will knew the perfect man.The only blue blood aside from Blade that he’d let at his back.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he allowed himself a tight smile.When he’d thrown up Leo’s name as a potential ambassador for the Norwegians to work with, Lena had agreed after a slight hesitation.
“Someone like Leo,” she said tightly.“Of course.Someone you can trust.SomeonewhowillholdyouinhigherregardthantheSwedishdelegate.Someone even Magnus might accept.”
Thetwowomenexchangedglances.
“Someone we can trust,” Astrid repeated, liking the idea.
The speeches droned on until he swiftly lost interest.He wanted the treaty signed now.Then he could return to Whitechapel, taking Lena along with him.
“Pay attention,” she commanded, quivering with heightened tension.“They’re about to get to the treaty.”
The Swedish ambassador stepped forward with a sly smile and said all of the right things.Behind him, Magnus maneuvered into place beside Leo and whispered something in his ear.Not even Will could hear him over the loud ringing of the Swedish count’s voice.
Leo blinked in consideration.After a moment, he nodded and then crossed to the prince regent’s side to whisper something.
There was too much to watch.Will applauded as the Swedish count finally finished and the prince regent stepped forward to make his own remarks.
“Ladies and gentleman,” he boomed.“An auspicious day for our two empires.As you all know, we are here to sign a treaty with our friends, the Scandinavians.We hope it shall be a long and fruitful union, and to that end, we have decided to announce the appointment of our new ambassador.”
