The choice is an easy one, but that does not make it a comfortable one. Being the proxy in a patricide by proxy isn't going to be a high point of your career. But it is undoubtedly better for the Old World if Kislev's succession is both smooth and soon, and it seems the only way to achieve both is with your intervention. Doing what is necessary, even when it is unpleasant and unsavoury, is the duty of the Grey Order.
Besides all that, of the many fine qualities that Boris might bring to the throne of Kislev, 'personally indebted to you' would be a very useful one.
"It does seem in the interest of the Old World if the transfer of power in Kislev was given some assistance," you observe. Boris exhales and nods, his face still stoic. "How, specifically, should such a thing be done?"
He takes a moment to gather himself. "I would have liked him to have a proper end against foes of Kislev, but there is a better way now. Do it as quietly as possible, leaving no evidence. If the way you do it could only have been done with magic, that is good."
You run through the possibilities in your head for what he might be up to. Drycha? No, she might be capable, but from her reputation she isn't one for subtlety. Then the only possibility that comes to mind is that the investigation into the Kalashiniviks must have found something - or can be made to seem like it found something. "As if a Lahmian had done it?"
He nods. "As if a Lahmian had done it while doing their best not to leave evidence that a Lahmian did it. If there is one enemy of Kislev that father would proactively take steps against, it is those that would seek to restore Kattarin. It would be easily believed that when discovered, they would seek to remove him."
And then the Resvynhaf Kalashiniviks can be purged, avenging Vladimir and giving the other Boyars something to think about if they start to dislike the reign of Tzar Boris. And possibly improving his grip over Praag - that was once the powerbase of the Kalashiniviks, and being occupied with business in Praag was why Boyar Kalashinivik was not present for the Battle of the Shirokij. Having the entire family out of the picture would remove one threat to the power of Praag's Z'ra.
And, of course, possibly wiping out a nest of Vampires entrenched in Kislev's nobility is a win in its own right.
It's an elegant solution, and unlike most elegant solutions, it's also a straightforward one to achieve. Tzar Vladimir's distrust of Kislev's magic-wielding traditions means that there will not be any magical protections, only mundane ones.
"Very well. I'll see you again after your coronation."
---
Getting to Kislev City is straightforward. Mathilde Weber returns to the Empire and climbs into her Gyrocarriage for a return to her business in the south, and then a plain-looking clerk arrives in Zavstra one day without ever passing through any of the town gates or docks. Passage is booked on a passenger ship up the Urskoy to Kislev City without anyone involved retaining any memories of the woman, and she never visibly disembarks from the vessel when it arrives in Kislev. Instead, a woman in Ungol leathers simply appears on the streets and disappears into the crowds.
The walls of the Bokha Palace look formidable to an untrained eye, but it was fashioned for defending against armies, not assassins. And that there is still damage in the Palace from the Great War almost two centuries ago is a fitting reminder of why you're doing this. A crater that had once been a cannon emplacement provides one easy access point for a probe into the palace, as does a walkway to a now-missing tower that shifts unsettlingly as your weight appears on it. The Kreml Guard are always at the ground-level entrances, but within the Palace themselves they only seem to guard the areas where the Tzar actually is, leaving the rest of the structure populated by footmen and servants. You manage to locate the Palace's laundries, and have the luxury of taking a set of liveries that are coming out, rather than going in.
The Tzar's protections are adequate enough, you suppose, against disgruntled peasants and amateur assassins, but you don't see anything that will present much of an obstacle to you, or towards a theoretical Lahmian. You suppose that if he'd considered the matter at all, he'd considered his non-interference with the Boyars' business to be adequate defence. This allows you the luxury of choosing your approach. The first and most obvious possibility is to visit the Tzar at night and leave a corpse to be found in the morning, but while this is the easiest and least risky approach, it might actually be
too easy, as it could be achievable by a suitably skilled but non-magical assassin. The opposite end of the spectrum would be to make a spectacle of things - strike him down at dinner or during a meeting or something while invisible or wreathed in shadows or similar, making it impossible to attribute the death to any mundane killer. Or if the greatest concern would be escaping after the deed is done, you could wait until the Tzar leaves the palace for one of his frequent hunts. The problem there is that while the Tzar might not be looking out for assassins while on the hunt, he and his companions and retainers would be armed and generally alert while out in Kislev's wilds.
[ ] Nighttime Visit
Sneak into his chambers at night, and leave a corpse to be found in the morning. Lowest risk, but leaves a killing that could have been done by mundane methods.
[ ] Spectacle
Strike while the Tzar is in company, with plenty of witnesses to make it clear that this was no mundane assassin.
[ ] Hunting Incident
Intercept him during one of his frequent hunting trips and slay him by some suitably unnatural means. Escape should be easy, but it does mean that him and everyone around him will be armed and alert.
[ ] Other (write in)
- There will be a two hour moratorium.
