STAGED FOR A COUP Despite the castle gag order keeping Claude's illness a secret, rumors begin to spread among the aristocrats about the emperor's indisposed state. With Claude unconscious, Athanasia must serve as the emperor's proxy, though she struggles to contain the rumor mill while caring for her father and also managing the affairs of state. When a parliamentary meeting veers terribly off course and Duke Alpheus acts in a manner unbefitting his usual self, a shrouded figure reveals himself before the gathered nobles. The shocking true identity of the visitor revealed, Athanasia must stem the beginnings of a coup!