Hidden Truths - Ethan

53 - The Takeover

"Monsieur Ethan!" an all too familiar voice reaches my ears and I know there is nobody besides the Frog who would address me like that. I see one of my guards helping Jacque to stand straight. His skin looks mostly untouched by the fire but by his bearing, he seems to have a broken leg.

"Jacque," I snort scornfully.

"You are not allowed to declare anything within this society. You are banned and lost all your rights," he reminds me.

I straighten out and when I walk over to him, he pales. Most probably he did not realize the death spirits around me at first hand and I know very well that the ripped-up sleeves and the bloodstains on my clothes adding to my dangerous appearance.

"You are the one to stop me?" I laugh out once, "what was the reason for so many council members to be in the headquarters? Can you tell me that?"

"The matters of the council are not—"

"I can tell you," I interrupt, "Lord Blackwood wanted to have an emergency meeting. Do you know why I know that?" I ask him further with a stare. He does not answer but it was more of a rhetorical question anyway. His confused face amuses me.

"I know about that because he was here the night before. I was the subject of this meeting and he presented to you the real circumstances of my banishment, didn't he?" The council members look at each other and I am not entirely sure that Tristan was able to have his meeting or even start it. This does not mean I give in while the silence starts to get uncomfortable.

"Very well, he presented some suspicions but there were no facts to it," he finally answers as he realizes my confidence, "You are still a criminal and have no right to interfere with any political decision. You don't belong to us!" he gathers the courage to try to show me my place.

"Mister Forks," I turn my head to the minister that has the judicial sovereignty of the council instead of letting my anger take over and crash that maggot's face. "Do I have the right to declare the law of war?"

The man gulps at the sudden attention. He is tall but sits on a fur like a little child at the moment. The fire caught his back and the left shoulder but Erwin already bandaged his wounds as best as possible.

"The requirements, in general, are fulfilled. There was an extraordinary big attack on a large group of the society and Lord Blackwood is indisposed," he makes a short pause to clear his throat. I am sure he also has the same thoughts as everybody else. Tristan would never leave us alone if he could make it.

"In addition, there is a rather secretive passage in our paragraph about the law of war. I discussed it often and long with our Lord as he let me add it without a lot of a comment. I never really understood it but I guess now there is no room for interpretation anymore. It states that the first royal guard, no matter if from the past or present, has the right to do so unless he is not explicitly excluded from the paragraph by name. When Mister Vinge got banned I figured he will apply to get named there, but when I asked how to proceed, our Lord told me that we need to keep it the way it is, hence my answer to this question is a clear yes, Sir."

Silence.

I have to smirk. "Would you also be so kind and tell those, who are not part of the council, what this means," I request while my eyes are still locked with Jacque's.

"The law of war states that the military sovereignty, which is Lord Blackwood himself or the leader of the royal guards, will become the highest of all sovereignty and does not need to rely on the judgment of the council members anymore until the declaration is suspended and the regular routine can be revived. In fact, this means, you can declare the law of war but you will not rule, as you are not on duty. Lady Blackwood will be our highest sovereignty."