No one knew why Nesselrode had happened to be there at that particular moment, why he had appeared at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, or why that Zaptieh had struck him squarely on the head.
All anyone knew was that none of it could be avoided. War was about to come; every effort would be futile. No one could stop a Tsar with a legitimate pretext from launching a war.
This time, no one could tamper with things again. The death of someone at Nesselrode's level was simply impossible to conceal.
Of course, even without a legitimate pretext, it would not stop the Tsar from starting a war. It was merely a matter of sooner or later.
Still, the formalities had to be observed. The Russian authorities immediately demanded that the Ottoman Empire apprehend the culprit and issue a public apology. As for the specific compensation and punitive measures, those would have to await the Tsar's personal decision.
It was no easy task for a messenger to cross Russia's frozen wilderness and reach Saint Petersburg. The Baltic Sea along Saint Petersburg's coast would not thaw until late April, so the message could only be delivered by the most primitive means.
That would consume at least three weeks. By the time the reply reached Istanbul, it would be March 28, 1856, at the earliest.
But news did not travel nearly so poorly in the other countries of Europe.
Vienna, Hofburg Palace.
"Has the news been confirmed?"
"It has, Your Majesty. Nesselrode is indeed dead. His body is still at the Russian embassy."
Franz found the entire affair utterly absurd. He had thought the two sides would continue pulling and tugging at each other, only for Nesselrode's death to deliver a direct checkmate.
His first reaction had even been assassination. The