The Council of Light was convened at the Great Hall of the South Imperial Academy. Two double-storey windows stood at either end of the hall, which was tiled with black, blue and white tessarae. The late-morning light absolved the need for candles, casting shadows in the darkest corners. Before the windows were three white-marbled tables on a raised platform, for the teachers. Seven of the eight long tables, each draped with the arms of an Academic house, remained empty; around the other sat the councillors.
"This far exceeds that attic of yours, Grorem," Bowen laughed.
Principal Kott Grorem of the Academy - Commander of the Light - spoke, "Indeed. It is far time we came out of the darkness. Miss Anara and her team have been enlightening, I hear."
The woman beside Marianne nodded excitedly, "I think you shall be surprised by the crowds tonight, councillors. As we speak, I've dozens of gossipers acting out our little propaganda missions."
"Praise Ha'Vadaa," one councillor mentioned offhandedly.
Byron sat dejectedly in his place by Grorem, unspeaking.
Marianne watched him somewhat apologetically. Her recent comment was meant for private ears; it was, after all, what they all were expecting: his father, the Satrap Byron, was the last Imperial foundation in their state. As the heir to the viceregal throne, Jervic Byron was their greatest ally; but every single person at that council was desperately waiting for his own father's death.
Suddenly, amongst the excited conversation, Byron himself straightened in his seat. Marianne watched intently as each eye turned to young Lord,
"I don't mean to spoil the festivities, but if the crowds are truly thick, we shall have quite a significant problem on our hands."
Grorem's eyebrows narrowed, "Lord Byron, with all due respect, any publicity at all is needed now."
Byron raised his brows in response, "Oh? So you'd risk innocent lives -- and our own, of course -- to spread word of some rebellious faction that has the potential to be shot down in its entirety tonight?"
Bowen shot back, "The Academy has an army. Grorem leads it."
"So you'd sacrifice children?" Byron asked,
"Yeah, like your father, sending those kids to Gardaine."
Marianne's eyes widened. Vicious shouting erupted from all corners of the table. Grorem's booming voice could not quell the shouts.
Byron stood, and so did the rest of the councillors -- even Grorem. All except Marianne stood and fought and shouted. It was rather unlike her; she was usually the instigator.
Grorem by now was slamming his fist on the table. The argument suspended tensely in the air as the council members turned to their leader, each bar Marianne still standing.
"Let us speak! Byron, what are you proposing now? Remember this isn't the first time you've hindered our plans."
Byron smiled arrogantly, "I'll make no concession for it; I'm a selfish bastard. This is my throne and my father you're all fighting over. As long as I see some light in you clowns, I'll stay onboard, but you play by
my rules, or you fight
my armies."
The council was silent,
"I propose we wait. Wait until I am securely on the throne. We can do this without all the bloodshed."
"There'll be civil war either way!" One of the arguers voiced, with cheers from his fellows,
"
We'll have gained an army," argued Byron, "A legitimate army. The Empress' army."
"
Hangyakunin's Army," corrected Anara, backed too by cheers (she looked here at Marianne with a "what-in-Vadaa-woman-stand-up-and-speak"-type glare).
Grorem opened his mouth, but Bowen raised his voice once more, "Wait, wait... You aren't proposing to be
legitimised, are you? I'm sorry,
Jervic, 'Lord' Byron, but you're not inheriting anything. That's the point of this council. We're taking away your throne and your rights to it, and you're supposed to believe in that. For the people; for us all."
Byron broke out in a sweat. His plan had gone to nothing.
Grorem's voice boomed over the again-erupting argument, "Alright! Byron, this is true. Once you're legitimate, you'll retain every knowledge of our council, of our intentions, of our tactics... You could destroy us instantly with any Imperial force. You
cannot take the throne."
"So I've a bunch of traitors on my hands, have I?" Byron laughed, spitting at the commander's feet and briskly taking his steps towards the double-doored exit.
This time, Marianne stood.
"Perhaps he has a point!"
Byron stopped suddenly. Once again, he laughed. "Trying to atone for something, Marianne?"
She ignored him.
Shut up, brat. "If he is to be legitimised, will not the Empress herself be visiting?"
There was silence around the table.
She stared at Grorem, "Would we not have an opportunity, then, to strike?"
Someone else laughed, this time, "What, and have more reason for war?"
"We're going to war with Immestrial either way. It's Shelrair. It's inevitable."
Anara smiled,
Finally, "Actually, I'd say we'd have less reason for war. Remember, Gardaine's politicians aren't too keen on the monarchy either, right now."
Grorem frowned, "They've got three queens. That, and a mutated Vizier who you can bet is a demon like the rest of them. As far as I know, the Empress is the only one that's still human. That, at least, is a reason not to strike for now."
Dismissed, Marianne sat once again, silently hating everyone there. She turned to peer at Byron, but he was already gone.
Before she could turn back to the ageing elder, the room's single, rickety door was opened. She followed Caer's gaze to the intruding woman, "Elder Lyvass -- oh, Rewan? You're going to need to leave."
Rewan was momentarily alarmed. She looked outside.
We have been talking all this time.
I know.[/color] Rewan quickly withdrew her hand. She had forgotten Lyvass could still connect with her thoughts. She stood, and softly spoke; "Thank you."
As she left the building, fatigue suddenly overcame her. She had no idea how the time had passed so without either of them noticing. She wondered what was so imperative she be asked to leave (she wasn't traditionally allowed to stay there, anyway; Lyvass wasn't really one for retaining tradition).
"Rewan?"
She groggily raised her head, meeting Kyou's face-to-face. Usually, she did not desire to speak with him. But she was tired, and still slightly concerned,
"What's going on?"
Kyou shook his head, "The Imperials. Someone had died."
Rewan's head spun slightly. She, the Overseer of their Congregation's defence, had not been notified of such.
Did they not know where to find me?Kyou frowned, "You look tired. This meeting is with the Elders. I'll convene a council shortly. Take some rest. You'll need it."
She nodded.
Rhys nudged her hard in the gut. Right in the space where her right arm used to be. He usually did it to piss her off, but this time his face seemed serious. She couldn't work out what he wanted, but he kept nudging her, so she eventually slammed his face into the wall and whispered, "
What?"
"
Listen."
"...an hour before midnight."
"The Academy, really?"
"Looks like they've got an army."
"They're waiting for Byron to die."
[/size]
Rosa's heart leapt.
Rhys's eyes met hers, "What's this all about?"
She shrugged, "You're the underground guy!"
"Yeah, well... I guess I'll have to find out, then!"
"Don't you dare think you're leaving this bar all to me."
"Close early."
Rosa hated him. Sometimes.
Now, each naked table was full; there were young adults and children with firearms standing by the corners, wearing house uniforms. There were old couples, young couples; there were ugly orphans. The candles were lit, and even the moon, peeking in from behind one of the twin windows at the back of the Great Hall, seemed present there, in the Hangyan night.
Rosa felt herself pressed tightly against Rhys amongst the crowd; he stood tall, eyeing the figures at the marbled tables, scrutinising their every feature. Rosa's eyes followed. Her heart sank.
Bowen.April Marianne watched the crowds gather through a small window in a classroom two storeys above. She, along with a handful of others, were considered too important to have their positions - hers, as an ambassador - compromised.
Kott Grorem sat in an ornate blue chair made of stone and wood, and hung with the colours of the Academy. Beside him were teachers; other members of the council. The ex-Vizier Bowen, whom some thought familiar, but could not guess where from. Students stood behind them, armed.
At last, the doors were barred.
Rosa tried to whisper "
Let's go."Marianne bit her lip.
Bowen faced his commander, Grorem.
Commander Kott Grorem stood:
"Imagine a nation small, but proud.
Imagine an empire, valiant and eager.
Imagine a continent so ravaged by war, stirred to peace by gods and kings.
Imagine a world, bright and diverse. A world built on truth, understanding and acceptance.
Imagine a world for people.
Not individuals. For us all.
Imagine a nation small, because she was choked.
Imagine an empire so confused as to its people; its unity,
But so fuelled by a thirst for more, so that when it owns all people, it can say
No people can have a say. Imagine a continent, once peacelike,
Turned to turmoil by that thirst, the peoples of their different nations
Turning on one another for the benefit of a queen,
Or an Empress surrounded by Queens.
Demon Queens. Thrones coated in blood, and children's crowns
For their own crowns. Yes, imagine a world for one person, one throne.
Imagine Vadaa."
"I'm so sorry for your loss."
He paid no notice to those words. He just heard the stifling tears of a woman by a bedpost.
He stared at the still bedsheets, his eyes glistening with the hint of tears.
Jervic Byron did not see the man kneeling beside him,
"My condolences, Your Excellency."
"Imagine a world where one person asked each one of you to take the light
Inside their lives, and place it in her palm, so that when she closed it,
It felt as though every single light in that world had gone out.
But our light cannot be extinguished. Our light cannot even begin to be comprehended.
We are blinding.
We are the light for us all."
SO I have mentioned Mini like 3 times in this post so that you can use him when the focus shifts to Hangyakunin. When the focus shifts back to Gardaine it won't be long until Eleanore is there as well, so it won't be too bad then. also my shift key is broken so if I make stupid grammatical mistakes all throughout this post i apologise.))