The following day Noh, de Reggio, de Dieu and Mecenas were sitting around the table, led by de Monnaie. They had been appointed by the others to divide the map of all the occupied land and the army amongst the 10 marshals, in a way that would support a long-time peace amongst Neo's finest.
What they hadn't taken into account was Rokhshan walking into their meeting. "Gentlemen, you can put your plans aside. I am here to tell you that I am pregnant, and that changes everything."
"I will take the lead of Neo's army as the mother of his descendant, and return to Opal to dethrone Liberty and Bernadotte." "But, but...you're a woman." "What an attentiveness, Noh. Who do you think the army will follow?" "You marshals and being split all over the place?" "Or me, and remain one army, Neo's army to see his descendant take over the power in Opal."
"You can each take 1500 man with you, that is if you can find that many soldiers who will join you, and a satrapie at choice, but I wlll take the rest of the army." "And no, you cannot join me. None of you could prevent my husband from being murdered....so what use are you to me? You have until tomorrow morning to do the maths....my guards will see to it that you do."
After that meeting Rokshan went to a balcony that bordered at a large square where the troops had been gathered by some loyal officers. "Soldiers of Neo, I have come here to mourn with you over our great leader, who has been viscously and cowardly murdered. And I have come to tell you that as of now I will not rest until we have captured and executed the people responsible for this vile murder.'
But I have also come here to share some joyous news with you...I have most recently discovered that I am with child, a child from Neo. And I have come to ask you to help me build a great future for this unborn child, a child that is just like its father destined for greatness. Do you want to be part of that? Will you join me back to Opal and take what is ours. Take what belongs rightfully to Neo's child?""
"Will you be my army. Will you follow me?" The crowd just went mad. They kept cheering Neo's name, and stamped with their feet on the ground. Rokhshan's gamble had paid off, now she had to stay in control.
The next morning the five marshals had reached an agreement over who would get which satrapie and decided to call in the other marshals. When the first arrived and heard about the stunt Rokhshan had pulled, they were furious and accused the other five of treachery.
"Treachery? Treachery you say? And where were you yesterday when Rokhshan stole our army? Where were you to stop her? We have been seriously outplayed, and we must suffer the consequences and get as best a deal as we can get."
"And where the hell is Joachim? He should have been here yesterday. He might have countered her. He is the most popular of us...not that it would have done much good. But I have so had it with him." At that moment Lesire walked in: "Joachim and MacDonald have gone." "What do you mean....gone." "They have taken a few hundred of their soldiers and disappeared into the desert."