After two weeks' cautious travel through Montaigne, a country now in open rebellion, and a detour around La Selva de Fendes, the heroes reached the outskirts of Ciudad Vaticine. Constanza and "Beggar John" continued on south to escort the Dauphin to Constanza's estancia (usually referred to as "Constanza's Haven for the Disenfranchised", now flocking with little Vodacci refugees, former pirates, recovering victims of the Inquisition, Eisen veterans, and unemployed Fate Witches). On the way there, they were ambushed by a group of musketmen trying to assassinate the Dauphin, who only survived thanks to Johann and "Beggar John"'s quick reaction. After they despatched the ambushers, Constanza examined the bodies and discovered that they bore a tattoo of the Empereur's Lightning Guard.
Meanwhile, Lucas, Sarina and Sebastiano stayed in Vaticine City, where the Council of Dons had been meeting for a week already. Lucas met with Cardinal Verdugo and reported the result of the mission. He also described the rebellion, and the rumors of the Empereur's death. Verdugo immediately grasped the political implications of holding the Dauphin, now heir to the throne of Montaigne. He demanded that Lucas promise not to reveal the details of his mission and that he also his companions' silence. The Cardinal then related the most recent political developments in the Concilio de la Razon and the Council of Dons, both stuck to their axles in political mud.
Verdugo charged Lucas with the mission of approaching Don Javier de Torrès y Sandoval again, now to ask him to be regent on behalf of the Dauphin, and still demanding that Don Javier's son Fertus have his marriage annuled. Lucas reluctantly agreed to carry the message.
After leaving the Cardinal, Lucas went to visit his uncle Don Francisco de Guzman y Aldana, who was reportedly trying to convince the rest of the Council of Dons to mount a search for the missing Prince Javier de Béjarano y Sandoval. Don Francisco bid his nephew be very careful around Cardinal Verdugo, and asked him to report to him upon his return before visiting the cardinal.
While in Vaticine City, Lucas retrieved his father's sword from the weaponsmith who had been repairing it. Although the sword was still a remarkable weapon, the blade would remain brittle. Then Lucas met with the other members of the Inner Council of Los Vagos, Don Hector de Ontivarès, Doña Maria Soledad de Rivera y Aldana, and Don Cristian de Acedo y Lopez de Torrès. They asked him for his opinion on which candidate to the throne Los Vagos should support. Lucas expressed his trust in Don Javier de Torrès y Sandoval's honesty, but doubted the man could be convinced. He also expressed his worries about trying to unite the crowns of Castille and Montaigne.
After his meetings, Lucas collected Sarina and Sebastiano and headed for San Cristobal. On the way, he stopped at his estancia, where he found Constanza and Ferdinand in the process of hiring a small army to protect the Dauphin. During the recruitment, one man whispered a message to Constanza: "He is waiting in San Cristobal."
The heroes (and the scoundrels) made their way to San Cristobal, where they ran into none other than the now inevitable Comte de Sinjin! Later that evening, "Beggar John" again met the Comte de Sinjin and exchanged a few more barbs, with the Comte seemingly intent on making Ferdinand's life miserable, or at least on discouraging him from joining the Order of the Rose and Cross.
As soon as she had a chance, Constanza slipped away to the port and met with Captain Allende. He questioned her on the political situation; although he loathed the idea, he asked her to reveal his true identity to those of her companions she trusted and to help him follow the developments. Constanza went to gather Ferdinand and Lucas, and told them that Captain Allende was none other than the missing heir, Prince Javier de Béjarano y Sandoval de Castilla. They immediately wanted to meet with him, and the three returned to the Falcon's Roost. Lucas had the pleasure of a short exchange of jibes with his old friend Vincente on the way.
Lucas and Ferdinand both told Captain Allende/Prince Javier that he was the only candidate who could avoid a civil war in Castille. He reluctantly said he would be willing to abandon his freedom at the condition that he would step down immediately if his brother King Sandoval was found alive after all. The four then made quick plans to seek the help of Don Francisco de Guzman y Aldana, Don Enrique de Rivera y Orduño, and Doña Margarita Vasquez y Soldano de Orduño. Allende said Didi would act as messenger between him and the heroes while the preparations were made over the next few days.
During these talks, Sarina spent the evening at the inn, taunting Sebastiano Biancastro, eventually getting within a hair's breadth of being killed for refusing to reveal what she knew of Melisandre's whereabouts. Sebastiano then ostensibly left and Sarina's contact showed up at last, a handsome man of noble blood who unhesitatingly gave his name as Francisco de Grijalva. He paid Sarina with a bank draft and told her that Melisandre was now in Vaticine City. Once he had left, Sebastiano reappeared, shortly followed by Constanza and Ferdinand (Lucas had returned to a tavern where he had been picking up a girl earlier that evening). Constanza was nearly as fed up with Sarina as Sebastiano and Ferdinand were, and refuse to intervene on behalf of the adventuress. Sarina then decided to make a run for it, but was caught by Ferdinand and roughed up a little, though he let her go when she started to scream for help.
Sebastiano, Constanza and Ferdinand then decided to make their way to Vaticine City as fast as possible, in the middle of the night and leaving a brief message for Lucas. The latter still had to meet Don Javier de Torrès y Sandoval in the morning. Don Javier was loath to get embroiled in politics, but was convinced by Lucas to sign a very vague promise of consideration should no candidate of precedence appear, as a delaying measure. Lucas then headed back to Vaticine City with all haste.
He caught sight of his companions on the outskirts of Ciudad Vaticine just as they were catching up with Sarina. There was a lively pursuit, but Sarina managed to escape and lose her pursuers in the backstreets of the Vaticine capital. The disgruntled heroes chose to get rooms at an inn rather than stay at the Alcazar de Los Lobos this time. Listening to the latest rumors, they heard that Gallegos Province had announced its intention to secede, that unknown parties had bought all the swing votes in the Concilio de la Razon and the Council of Dons, and that the Grijalva family had announced that they supported their own candidate to the throne, one Sara de Grijalva, hitherto unknown...
