Varicella

You are Primo Varicella, Palace Minister at the Palazzo del Piemonte. You are carrying a letter from the Queen and your master key. You are impeccably and fashionably dressed, to wit: a silk shirt, a purple doublet, an old-style jerkin, black hose, paned knee-breeches, a black cloak, shoes, and a Parisian hat. You are in the palace salon—an oasis of style that you yourself decorated—enjoying a manicure from a steward.

Alas, as the Palace Minister of Piedmont, you are little more than a glorified butler. But now that King Charles has died of a sudden illness, you have a prime opportunity to advance your position by becoming the regent of the five-year-old Prince Charles. Of course, the other ministers will also vie for the regency. They are certain to use unseemly means to eliminate their competition by bribery, or by treachery, or by force. You will succeed by using all three methods.