Duty-Bound [ Lore of Penrua: Book II ]

26

The following day, Matei and Mhera convened with the High Council in the imperial audience chamber, a room Matei had seen only once or twice as a boy. Here, Emperor Korvan had presided over discussions and debates among noblemen of Karelin, permitting the highest-born citizens a voice in affairs of state. The meeting space had been carefully chosen; it was more unbalanced territory than that of the chamber where the High Council convened. There was a dais at one end of the room; Matei had requested that the single throne on it be replaced with a pair of matching high-backed chairs, the finest that could be found within the palace walls, to lend further authority to the occasion. That's where he and Mhera sat, attended by Captain Alban and Uachi. Assembled before them—standing—was the whole of the High Council, a dozen of the highest-ranking titled lords in the city.

"You cannot seriously expect me to sit on a council with Arcborn peasants," said one of them, a finely-dressed courtier whose blond hair and beard were touched with silver.

The sovereigns had been briefed on the members of the council by Yorek, whose impressive memory had supplied Matei and Mhera with names and descriptions for all the council members. As this nobleman looked from Matei to his fellows, an expression of disbelief on his face, Matei searched for a name and found one: Lord Telach.

"We are meeting with the High Council as a courtesy, my lord," said Matei. "It was my wish to integrate the council immediately, but Empress Mhera insisted that we discuss matters with your lordships first."

Lord Telach was not the only man present to look upset with the announcement he had made, but he appeared to be the only one daring enough to speak. The nobleman turned to face the other Starborn men, spreading his arms in outrage. "My lords, you cannot take this seriously! First, they assassinate our rightful, true-born emperor; then, they coerce his heir, Prince Kaori, into giving up the throne to this bastard-born rebel filth, and now they expect us to sit at the table with Arcborn fools and vagabonds!"

"My lord, you forget yourself," said Mhera. "And the late emperor's death was no assassination."

Telach turned round again, red-faced with fury. "Forget myself! You are the one who forgets herself, you pitiful, wayward child. You were the pride of the palace once, as well-bred and pious a royal daughter as ever there was. Now you are nothing but a treacherous whore—"

Matei leaned forward in his seat, clenching his right hand into a fist. It had been a long time since he'd first come into his power; as a child, he might not have been able to quell the surge of his emotion, but as it was now, the urge of the power in his blood was but a whisper in the back of his mind.

Uachi was not so reserved. He stepped down from the dais, hand on his dagger.

But Mhera raised a hand, saying, "Uachi, please. I will hear Lord Telach's concerns." Her tone was so mild that Matei stared at her, wondering if she'd properly heard what Telach had said of her.

Telach sputtered. "Go on, sic your filthy rebel dogs on me. I would rather be thrown in your prison than witness the corruption of this holy throne!"

"We will be happy to indulge you," Matei said through gritted teeth.

"My lords," said Mhera, "You must work together with us and our other chosen councilors—or not at all. We welcome your presence on our council. We welcome your voices. As you served my uncle before us, you may serve us now, with the wisdom and prudence of your many years of experience. But you may retain your positions only in one capacity, and that is as members of an integrated council. If you are not willing to sit side-by-side with Arcborn representatives, you must be relieved of your duties. Bear in mind that His Grace and I possess the authority to strip you of your titles as well. I beg of you: think on this carefully."

Matei had been ready to interject; now, he relaxed into his seat, surprised and impressed by Mhera's speech. Her tone was as calm and as gentle as always, but there was sharp steel behind those words.

Lord Telach stared at the empress for a moment; his face, his stance, and the very air around him crackled with restrained, aristocratic rage. At last, he tore off the golden pin that held his cravat in place and flung it at Mhera. Uachi, still standing slightly in front of Mhera, easily batted the adornment out of the air. He looked at Telach with the expression of amusement he might have turned upon a small, angry dog and said, "Your Grace, if it please you, I can remove this man from your presence. Abruptly."

Drawing a breath, Matei resisted the urge to speak his mind. He watched Mhera. She sat stiffly, her hands white-knuckled on the arms of her chair. He knew her; he could see the marks of her hesitation and uncertainty writ across her features, and he hoped the lords before them could not. The silence drew out. He willed her to hold her ground, but he knew she wished to be diplomatic. After too many seconds had passed, he opened his mouth to speak for her, afraid she might be thinking to concede.

As if sensing he itched to intervene, Mhera spoke at last. "Thank you, Uachi. It pains me to strip relieve an honored nobleman of his land and titles, but any man who does not stand with us stands against us and against the peace of the realm." She looked at Matei. "Your Grace, do you object?"

"Not at all," said Matei, as calmly as he could manage. "Uachi, please remove the newest member of the peasantry from our midst. Are there others among the Starborn nobility who chafe at sharing their council table?"

Lord Telach stared at Mhera in shock; he could not have looked more surprised if Mhera had descended from her throne and slapped him. "Your Grace, this title has been in my family since the time of the Blessed Sovereigns," he said. "You cannot think to—"

Uachi stepped forward, and Telach's words dried up. As the ranger seized hold of his arm, none-too-gently, the man seemed to shrink in on himself, staring up at Uachi's grim expression with naked fear. The other noblemen watched Telach being led away, and no one spoke.

"Very well," said Matei. "I am sensitive to the fact that this is an abrupt and serious change. I assure you that Empress Mhera and I do not wish to cause more disruption and trouble than is necessary to ensure that the Arcborn people have their rightful place in our government. The schedule and traditions of this council will remain largely the same. We will convene again in the turning of a moon, and at that meeting, you can expect to make the acquaintance of your Arcborn peers."

As they filtered out of the room, the Starborn noblemen of the council whispered amongst themselves, but no one raised his voice to be heard above the crowd.

Well, Your Graces, there's no going back now.

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter in the comments! Do you think Matei and Mhera handled this sticky situation well? Would you have done things differently?

Chapter 27 comes on 9/21. While most of my chapters are between 1200 and 2000 words long, this one's 3500 words long! It is, in my opinion, one of the key chapters in the book, and I hope you'll agree.