принц of Boyardvina

setting: drawing room of fashionable home east of Vitebsk, a celebration of spring dinner party has many of the notables from the Tsar's realms gathered, the sounds of thier after dinner conversations rise and fall in the distance...

A smartly dressed gentleman is pacing in the drawing room, evidently he has not wanted the company of his fellow diners.

Presently another man slips in from the dressing room nearest the coach-house, his dress is that of a road traveller and shows much wear from the season past.

"Excellency," the older road traveller addreses the well dressed paceing diner, with a curt bow and flickering aversion of his eyes around the room.

"News?" is the response from the well dressed man.

"It would seem that the Habsburg court is somewhat distracted by a combination of expanding military actions to both their south and north. The Vizier in Constantinople is sabre rattling while the Prussians appear to be ready to defend their recent gains." The traveller removed a paper from his coat.

"Parts of Gallian holdings are ready to support the Germanic holdings and may participate against the Ottomans were they to press on with their apparent plans to capture more reich territories." The older man read from his notes, while the younger poured them both a glass of wine.

"Nothing seen in Dobrushiva suggests that they are preparing for action, however this campaign may be driven by the Vizier or his henchmen in Constantinople directly, with the main force still far from the border regions." The traveller took the offered wine glass.

Nodding the Prince considered this news, for a moment there was a roar of laughter from the dining rooms. When this subsided the Prince turned to his messenger,

"Take fresh horses in the morning, ride south and inform Admiral Padorin to make reconnaisances by land and sea along the Black Sea." The prince turned away for a moment more to write a quick note, he sealed it with his signet ring using wax from one of the candleabra's lights.

"This is for General-Major Sytoparov. Tell him to make all preparations slow and careful. We may even catch the opezdol looking the wrong way!" Chuckling to himself as he drained the wineglass принц of Boyardvina watched his messenger depart with the latest dispatch towards the south. Back to the dinner party and finding out how much of the Tsar's wealth could be spared for another stab at the Ottomans.