Do you know why dragons like to kill things with fire? It ain’t because they like their food cooked – most of them eat their meat raw. They do it because it takes longer, it hurts more. A full grown dragon can snap a man like a twig, crush him like an egg, or pop him like a grape. A dragon has about a half dozen different ways to kill a man instantly. A dragon’s fire though, it’s not fast, not usually. Magisters will tell you, a man stops feeling pain after his skin crumbles off, before the fat starts melting and running out of him. They’ll tell you the heat or the lack of oxygen will incapacitate him before that happens. But I’ve heard men scream as they burned alive, and I tell you, they scream until their head comes off.
-
Anonymous;
from an unpublished letter to the editor of The
Vulpine Post
While Kaira and Thrakaduhl were taking up arms in the countryside, Syliva had thrown things for a loop in Kingstown. Power in the House of Lords was based on land ownership, with the monarchy holding the largest single share, followed by some companies and old families of elves, Syliva, and then the dwarven cities, which owned a portion of the land above their underground cities. Although Syliva did not directly hold the most power in the House of Lords, she owned, controlled, or held significant influence over multiple land owning companies, giving her a significant amount of indirect influence on the House. Seizing control of the ruling family's assets would give her enough land to effectively control the House of Lords, but until then she needed to gain the favor of the countless representatives elected to the House by Caelians who owned too little property to get a seat in the House. A representative's individual influence was pitiful, but collectively the elected members of the House held significant power. For many of these individuals, swaying them meant swaying a significant portion of the landowners who elected them. That had been the point of co-opting and redesigning the Nationalist movement - voters had a cohesive group identity to latch onto, and Syliva's heralds had given her significant influence over that group.
Emboldened by support from the Nationalists, Syliva decided to accelerate her plans considerably, and convened a special meeting of the House of Lords, attended by every herald (except The Kingstown Herald, which had been formally disbanded).
The House of Lords had originally operated entirely within a large state building in the south end of Kingstown. Being too small for someone Syliva's size to enter, about two decades ago she had persuaded the House to relocate its proceedings to an outdoor amphitheater on land she owned north of Kingstown. Even back then, it had won her some favor with the rural Caelians, who saw it as a move to "free Caelia's government from the shackles of urban interests."
Syliva had had the amphitheater altered to remove a large portion of the seating on the north end in favor of a large platform for her to lounge upon, directly opposite the box of seats reserved for the king and his retinue on the south side of the amphitheater. Ostensibly, it had simply been a matter of necessity, but Syliva had always intended for it to convey a message of power. It emphasized her physical power, and set her apart from the representatives and lords seated on the other side of the structure. It also meant that everyone making a presentation before the House had to choose between addressing her and addressing the king, and few people had the nerve to perform oratory with their back to a dragon.
But now she was the one speaking before the House, and with heralds and a surprisingly large number of spectators filling ordinarily vacant seats, she was almost entirely encircled by the chattering bipeds. Syliva feared very little, but she was grateful that her own seat left an empty space behind her, as the high walls filled with small, swarming people prodded an instinctive dread. Another dragon had fallen centuries ago in a Gnoman amphitheater very similar to this one. Syliva always took him for a fool walking into a trap like that, but now here she was, braving a very similar situation.
The worm of uncertainty was the weakest of parasites in Syliva's rotten mind though, far eclipsed by her ambition and self-importance. She reared up on her back legs and spoke without betraying a hint of hesitation or concern.
"Esteemed Lords and Honored Representatives of Caelia, thank you for making time for this special session. I am glad to see so many were able to attend on such short notice; it's a testament to the dedication of this body to the welfare of Caelia. I am also glad to see so many citizens in attendance today, taking an active interest in their country's government - in spite of this infernal heat!"
Syliva actually enjoyed Caelia's warm and humid summers, but What's-her-name had said the sentiment would 'humanize' her. The spectators laughed, and Syliva flapped her wings gently to create a slight breeze for them, soliciting some sighs of relief and light applause.
Syliva shifted her tone from ingratiating to world-weary, "Unfortunately, what I have to say today will likely be difficult for many to hear. When I first immigrated to Caelia two hundred years ago, I arrived in a kingdom beset with problems. Many remember Caelus IV fondly, and while I still have a great deal of respect for the rapport he had with his people, the truth is Caelia was on a bad path. As you know, Caelus IV's ancestors liberated this land from elf conquerors from the other side of the world, yet Caelus IV betrayed the commitment Caelia's forefathers made to the kingdom's independence. He opened Caelia's borders to the Arbarii - also from the other side of the world - and entertained negotiations with the Gnoman Empire. Why would he do such a thing? The reality is that Caelus IV had no investment in his kingdom's future - at nearly four decades old, he'd produced no heirs. Caelus IV was interested only in the present, in what would make people happy in the moment. A ruler needs to do more than that, though - they need to be a custodian of their people's future, to do what is best for them in the long run, even when it's not easy."
Syliva paused as if she were still composing the already carefully rehearsed words.
"When I arrived in Caelia, I thought that Caelus IV's cousin, Flaedin had the right mindset. He was a family man, even tempered, and I thought - as many did - that he valued Caelia's traditions. That is why I became complicit in his plans to depose Caelus IV."
The background whispering and murmuring of the gathered crowd was replaced with a dissonant cacophony of reactions, ranging from gasps of shock to grunts of skepticism.
"Two centuries ago," Syliva began her story, "I was summoned to Caelia by certain concerned citizens - many of them members of this same body at that time. They told me their ruler was unstable and directionless, and they reasonably persuaded me that the best course of action was to see the crown passed to someone better suited. Of course, Caelus didn't see it that way, and raised the full force of Caelia's army to oppose us. Not wishing to see my friends spend their blood needlessly, I engaged his army alone - one against thousands. Many Caelian soldiers died defending Caelus IV's power hungry grip on the crown. Fortunately, I secured enough victories in quick succession that many of the king's supporters abandoned his cause, making the death toll of the civil war far less than it might have been had Caelus IV been opposed by any conventional military force. With Caelia liberated, I left it to the House of Lords to determine Caelia's future. Having no personal grudge against the former king, I left it to the House to see him brought to justice. Some of the lords worried that he would flee to one of his allies, and turn up again later with a Gnoman army at his back. They said it was inevitable. But even if it were, I never doubted that I would be able to protect Caelia from such an invasion. Confident the former king posed no threat, I personally thought it best Caelus IV be allowed to flee. I hoped that he might live out the remainder of his days peacefully in some Gnoman port."
The crowd had gone largely quiet. Some of the elves knew the truth, of course, having been present for the events themselves, but most people were generations removed from the events, and were taken by Syliva's seemingly candid revelations about her involvement in Caelus IV's overthrow.
"Sadly, my hopes were dashed when Caelus IV and a band of his most devoted supporters - fanatics and cronies - snuck into my castle and attempted to assassinate me. I woke with a spear point pressed to my chest, Caelus himself preparing to plunge it through my heart. I only narrowly evaded death - and I certainly didn't escape unscathed - but in the end I overcame Caelus, and made certain he would never threaten the security and prosperity of the kingdom again."
"As you all know, it was King Hylas's ancestor, and Caelus IV's cousin Flaedin I, who was chosen to succeed him. I thought he was a good man who would be a good king. He was an even-tempered family man, much like King Hylas, who understood the importance of keeping Caelia close to its roots, honoring the traditions and values embraced by the kingdom's forefathers.
"I eventually came to learn, however, that Flaedin had not been chosen to rule for those qualities, but rather for his ruthlessness. He made a deal with certain contemporary members of this body to kill his cousin and prevent any future challenges to the throne. Rather than face his cousin directly, Flaedin led Caelus through a secret entrance to the castle, and sent him to confront me. It was, I'm sure, a sure-win for him. Either Caelus would die, and the House of Lords would appoint Flaedin successor and inheritor of the king's lands, or I would die, and Caelus would have been indebted to his cousin for the rest of his life. Likely, Flaedin hoped we would both die."
Syliva's speech was finally interrupted by Hylas himself who stood from his small throne and shouted, "That's not how it happened! That's not at all how it happened!"
"Which you know how? Because that's not what your grandfather told you?" Syliva looked at the crowd as if the foolishness of his protest was a foregone conclusion.
An older man with a ruddy complexion and a fat nose stood up and raised his hand, gesturing to be recognized. Hylas was still fuming, but as head of the House of Lords he couldn't ignore the polite request to speak. "The House recognizes Tyweis Shandon, Acting Lord of Agricoal."
Corporations were represented in the House of Lords by 'acting lords' in much the same way small scale landowners were represented by elected individuals. However, given the vast holdings of many of Caelia's corporations, they controlled considerably more votes than any of the elected representatives. Being a farming company, Agricoal owned more land than any other company, giving Shandon a considerable amount of clout in the House. Fortunately, Syliva was the one who'd pushed Agricoal's board to appoint him as an acting lord.
"Whose account should these people trust?" Shandon said, "Everything King Hylas knows was learned third or fourth hand, from men who would have been reasonably motivated to defend the legitimacy of their titles. What Lady Syliva knows is what she experienced. She was there, she knows better than anyone what really happened."
There were many nods of agreement and shrugs of 'well maybe'. An ornately dressed elf woman stood up without asking for recognition and simply stated, "Perhaps we should hear Hylas's version of the events, and then decide whether its credible."
Shandon could have complained about being interrupted, but thought that might end up with the elf being given the floor formally. Better to keep his momentum and run with it.
"Of course, Vaerla's right," Shandon used the woman's first name as if they were friends, a deliberate slight against the elf. "We should find out what King Hylas knows. Motion to cross examine the head of the House?"
"What?" Hylas looked at the man like he was crazy.
"Seconded," the acting lord of Hemocraft was a shrewd looking man with black-hair and pale-skin, "Another second will carry the motion."
One of the minor representatives, some smarmy official from east of Hermanelle backed the decision.
"Motion denied," Hylas said, "I will testify in full."
"It doesn't work that way," Syliva said, "Read the bylaws. Or don't you care about our constitution?" The dragon was silently amused. She hadn't read the bylaws, but What's-her-name had, and the small woman had helped her prepare for this eventuality.
"Your majesty," Shandon said, "Is it true that your ancestor, Flaedin, was responsible for sending Caelus IV into Syliva's chambers?"
"Yes, that is true, but..."
"And is it not also true that Caelus IV entered her chambers with the intention of killing her?"
"Yes, but..."
"And isn't it true that, ultimately, Flaedin became king - and in fact, you yourself, are now king - only because of Flaedin's role in Caelus's death?"
"There's more to it than that!"
"Let the record show that Hylas's answers corroborate Lady Syliva's testimony."
"Motion to allow King Hylas to give his full account without questioning," Vaerla said.
"Motion accepted!" Hylas said.
"You're still under cross-examination," Shandon said to the king, "You can't accept a motion that ends it."
"Motion to end cross-examination," Vaerla said, clenching her fists.
"Seconded!" two of the representatives from the dwarven cities were keen to hear Hylas's version.
Shandon gritted his teeth, if he carried things too far, the crowd would sour, "The motion carries. Cross-examination ends, and I eagerly await the King's excuses for his family's decisions."
Hylas ignored the last jab, "Much of what happened occurred as Lady Syliva described. She was summoned to Caelia by members of the House of Lords, and she did engage Caelus IV in a civil war on their behalf. But my ancestor did not conspire with the House of Lords to manipulate her and Caelus IV into a final confrontation. Yes, he led Caelus IV into her castle, but it was all her idea!"
Again, the room erupted into a fury of reactions, this time ranging from skepticism to 'well of course she did'.
Hylas continued, "Syliva was hunting the countryside for Caelus's rebels, wreaking havoc and terrorizing the people. Syliva reached out to Flaedin, and offered an end to the violence. If he served Caelus up to her, she'd end her hunt, and allow Flaedin to take the crown, and begin the long road to recovery! Flaedin didn't want to betray his cousin, but she convinced him it was the only way!"
"Is that true?" Shandon shouted to Syliva without asking to be recognized.
"No." Syliva didn't feel it was necessary or wise to elaborate - after all, the best lies were the simplest, and it was very hard for someone to pick apart a single syllable answer.
"Really, you never had any contact with Flaedin?" Vaerla demanded.
"Oh, well, I suppose I did at one point seek an audience with him. I hoped at one point he might help me open a frank discussion with his cousin, and bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Nothing came of it though."
One of the rural representatives stood up, the young man was clearly nervous to put himself out in front of an audience filled with far more powerful individuals, "I would like to hear Lady Asterigennithika's account. I mean, she was part of the House of Lords back then, right? Motion to have Lady Asterigennithika testify."
"Vaerla," Shandon said, "Did you have any involvement with the Flaedin's conspiracy or the death of Caelus IV?"
"Of course not," Vaerla said.
"Then it seems your testimony would have nothing of value."
A younger orc woman stood up in the audience, "Let her talk anyway!"
"Order!" Shandon shouted, "The gallery must be quiet during proceedings! Escort that woman from-"
"Shut up Shandon," Hylas said, "You don't have floor right now. Do I have a second to the motion?"
Syliva knew someone would second it, so she jumped in and supported the motion, just to sew a delightful amount of confusion.
"Please, Lady Asterigennithika," Hylas said, "you're the only member of the House of Lords who was serving when these events took place. In all of Caelia, you're likely among only a handful of people besides Lady Syliva with direct knowledge of the events."
"What a delightful way of telling a woman she's old, Hylas," Vaerla smiled. The crowd laughed. She'd never really liked Hylas, or any of his ancestors, so she wasn't interested in sparing him, but she couldn't abide the clumsy deceptions being sewn now. "I recall that rumor within the House, at that time, would have supported your version of events. If anyone in the House ever conspired with Flaedin, against Lady Syliva, I was certainly never aware of it."
"That doesn't mean it didn't happen," Shandon said.
"It would be unusual for anything to happen without my hearing of it," Vaerla deliberately stroked one of her large pointed ears, getting a chuckle from the audience, "But you are technically correct. It's possible there was a conspiracy in the House which was hidden even from me. Unlikely, but technically possible."
"Thank you Vaer-" Hylas started, but Vaerla continued.
"What I take issue with is the accounts his majesty King Hylas and the honorable Lady Syliva have offered of a Caelian civil war. I know from seeing the tripe my daughter's friends were taught that many scrolls and books now describe it that way, but it's a fabrication. I've seen civil wars; civil wars are fought when a country becomes divided against itself. Brother against brother. Soldiers taking up arms against one another. There was no divide in Caelia when Syliva was 'summoned' here. Caelus IV had his critics, yes, but Caelia was prosperous. Syliva didn't fight the 'war' single-handedly because she cared about the men her allies would have sent to their deaths, she fought single-handedly because they had no soldiers to send. Caelus IV had no trouble raising the military against her, they were completely behind him from the beginning. They abandoned him at the end, yes, but not one of Caelus's soldiers ever turned against him. Not one Caelian citizen took up arms against Caelus IV. There were no guerillas, no freedom fighters, no revolutionaries, until Syliva gained sufficient clout to call Caelus and his knights 'rebels.' As if it wasn't his throne she'd claimed. The king says Hylas betrayed his cousin to end the violence - that might be true. I hope it is. I thought well of Flaedin when he was young, and would prefer to think he made a difficult but well-intentioned choice, than believe that would betray his blood for the throne. Regardless, make no mistake - Syliva is a monster, brought to our country by a handful of greedy, vindictive men to assassinate a king that loved his people more than his lords."
The exchanges that followed saw Vaerla's account relegated to history books like this, reported only by a few of the heralds present. People could be galvanized by two conflicting accounts, but were utterly confused by three. There was certainly a general antipathy towards elves, and Vaerla's own background was checkered to say the least, so the Nationalists and their rivals - the Monarchists - both found it easy to dismiss her words.
Syliva went on to testify about other events in the past two hundred years that implicated Flaedin's descendants in a legacy of corruption and incompetence. It was all more or less true. Technically Syliva herself had been actively complicit in the same corruption that she was revealing, to the point of having instigated most of it, but none of that mattered to her supporters; she was, after all, a greedy dragon, and so she hadn’t done anything a greedy dragon wouldn’t do. She was simply true to her nature; treacherous but earnest.
Emboldened by support from the Nationalists, Syliva decided to accelerate her plans considerably, and convened a special meeting of the House of Lords, attended by every herald (except The Kingstown Herald, which had been formally disbanded).
The House of Lords had originally operated entirely within a large state building in the south end of Kingstown. Being too small for someone Syliva's size to enter, about two decades ago she had persuaded the House to relocate its proceedings to an outdoor amphitheater on land she owned north of Kingstown. Even back then, it had won her some favor with the rural Caelians, who saw it as a move to "free Caelia's government from the shackles of urban interests."
Syliva had had the amphitheater altered to remove a large portion of the seating on the north end in favor of a large platform for her to lounge upon, directly opposite the box of seats reserved for the king and his retinue on the south side of the amphitheater. Ostensibly, it had simply been a matter of necessity, but Syliva had always intended for it to convey a message of power. It emphasized her physical power, and set her apart from the representatives and lords seated on the other side of the structure. It also meant that everyone making a presentation before the House had to choose between addressing her and addressing the king, and few people had the nerve to perform oratory with their back to a dragon.
But now she was the one speaking before the House, and with heralds and a surprisingly large number of spectators filling ordinarily vacant seats, she was almost entirely encircled by the chattering bipeds. Syliva feared very little, but she was grateful that her own seat left an empty space behind her, as the high walls filled with small, swarming people prodded an instinctive dread. Another dragon had fallen centuries ago in a Gnoman amphitheater very similar to this one. Syliva always took him for a fool walking into a trap like that, but now here she was, braving a very similar situation.
The worm of uncertainty was the weakest of parasites in Syliva's rotten mind though, far eclipsed by her ambition and self-importance. She reared up on her back legs and spoke without betraying a hint of hesitation or concern.
"Esteemed Lords and Honored Representatives of Caelia, thank you for making time for this special session. I am glad to see so many were able to attend on such short notice; it's a testament to the dedication of this body to the welfare of Caelia. I am also glad to see so many citizens in attendance today, taking an active interest in their country's government - in spite of this infernal heat!"
Syliva actually enjoyed Caelia's warm and humid summers, but What's-her-name had said the sentiment would 'humanize' her. The spectators laughed, and Syliva flapped her wings gently to create a slight breeze for them, soliciting some sighs of relief and light applause.
Syliva shifted her tone from ingratiating to world-weary, "Unfortunately, what I have to say today will likely be difficult for many to hear. When I first immigrated to Caelia two hundred years ago, I arrived in a kingdom beset with problems. Many remember Caelus IV fondly, and while I still have a great deal of respect for the rapport he had with his people, the truth is Caelia was on a bad path. As you know, Caelus IV's ancestors liberated this land from elf conquerors from the other side of the world, yet Caelus IV betrayed the commitment Caelia's forefathers made to the kingdom's independence. He opened Caelia's borders to the Arbarii - also from the other side of the world - and entertained negotiations with the Gnoman Empire. Why would he do such a thing? The reality is that Caelus IV had no investment in his kingdom's future - at nearly four decades old, he'd produced no heirs. Caelus IV was interested only in the present, in what would make people happy in the moment. A ruler needs to do more than that, though - they need to be a custodian of their people's future, to do what is best for them in the long run, even when it's not easy."
Syliva paused as if she were still composing the already carefully rehearsed words.
"When I arrived in Caelia, I thought that Caelus IV's cousin, Flaedin had the right mindset. He was a family man, even tempered, and I thought - as many did - that he valued Caelia's traditions. That is why I became complicit in his plans to depose Caelus IV."
The background whispering and murmuring of the gathered crowd was replaced with a dissonant cacophony of reactions, ranging from gasps of shock to grunts of skepticism.
"Two centuries ago," Syliva began her story, "I was summoned to Caelia by certain concerned citizens - many of them members of this same body at that time. They told me their ruler was unstable and directionless, and they reasonably persuaded me that the best course of action was to see the crown passed to someone better suited. Of course, Caelus didn't see it that way, and raised the full force of Caelia's army to oppose us. Not wishing to see my friends spend their blood needlessly, I engaged his army alone - one against thousands. Many Caelian soldiers died defending Caelus IV's power hungry grip on the crown. Fortunately, I secured enough victories in quick succession that many of the king's supporters abandoned his cause, making the death toll of the civil war far less than it might have been had Caelus IV been opposed by any conventional military force. With Caelia liberated, I left it to the House of Lords to determine Caelia's future. Having no personal grudge against the former king, I left it to the House to see him brought to justice. Some of the lords worried that he would flee to one of his allies, and turn up again later with a Gnoman army at his back. They said it was inevitable. But even if it were, I never doubted that I would be able to protect Caelia from such an invasion. Confident the former king posed no threat, I personally thought it best Caelus IV be allowed to flee. I hoped that he might live out the remainder of his days peacefully in some Gnoman port."
The crowd had gone largely quiet. Some of the elves knew the truth, of course, having been present for the events themselves, but most people were generations removed from the events, and were taken by Syliva's seemingly candid revelations about her involvement in Caelus IV's overthrow.
"Sadly, my hopes were dashed when Caelus IV and a band of his most devoted supporters - fanatics and cronies - snuck into my castle and attempted to assassinate me. I woke with a spear point pressed to my chest, Caelus himself preparing to plunge it through my heart. I only narrowly evaded death - and I certainly didn't escape unscathed - but in the end I overcame Caelus, and made certain he would never threaten the security and prosperity of the kingdom again."
"As you all know, it was King Hylas's ancestor, and Caelus IV's cousin Flaedin I, who was chosen to succeed him. I thought he was a good man who would be a good king. He was an even-tempered family man, much like King Hylas, who understood the importance of keeping Caelia close to its roots, honoring the traditions and values embraced by the kingdom's forefathers.
"I eventually came to learn, however, that Flaedin had not been chosen to rule for those qualities, but rather for his ruthlessness. He made a deal with certain contemporary members of this body to kill his cousin and prevent any future challenges to the throne. Rather than face his cousin directly, Flaedin led Caelus through a secret entrance to the castle, and sent him to confront me. It was, I'm sure, a sure-win for him. Either Caelus would die, and the House of Lords would appoint Flaedin successor and inheritor of the king's lands, or I would die, and Caelus would have been indebted to his cousin for the rest of his life. Likely, Flaedin hoped we would both die."
Syliva's speech was finally interrupted by Hylas himself who stood from his small throne and shouted, "That's not how it happened! That's not at all how it happened!"
"Which you know how? Because that's not what your grandfather told you?" Syliva looked at the crowd as if the foolishness of his protest was a foregone conclusion.
An older man with a ruddy complexion and a fat nose stood up and raised his hand, gesturing to be recognized. Hylas was still fuming, but as head of the House of Lords he couldn't ignore the polite request to speak. "The House recognizes Tyweis Shandon, Acting Lord of Agricoal."
Corporations were represented in the House of Lords by 'acting lords' in much the same way small scale landowners were represented by elected individuals. However, given the vast holdings of many of Caelia's corporations, they controlled considerably more votes than any of the elected representatives. Being a farming company, Agricoal owned more land than any other company, giving Shandon a considerable amount of clout in the House. Fortunately, Syliva was the one who'd pushed Agricoal's board to appoint him as an acting lord.
"Whose account should these people trust?" Shandon said, "Everything King Hylas knows was learned third or fourth hand, from men who would have been reasonably motivated to defend the legitimacy of their titles. What Lady Syliva knows is what she experienced. She was there, she knows better than anyone what really happened."
There were many nods of agreement and shrugs of 'well maybe'. An ornately dressed elf woman stood up without asking for recognition and simply stated, "Perhaps we should hear Hylas's version of the events, and then decide whether its credible."
Shandon could have complained about being interrupted, but thought that might end up with the elf being given the floor formally. Better to keep his momentum and run with it.
"Of course, Vaerla's right," Shandon used the woman's first name as if they were friends, a deliberate slight against the elf. "We should find out what King Hylas knows. Motion to cross examine the head of the House?"
"What?" Hylas looked at the man like he was crazy.
"Seconded," the acting lord of Hemocraft was a shrewd looking man with black-hair and pale-skin, "Another second will carry the motion."
One of the minor representatives, some smarmy official from east of Hermanelle backed the decision.
"Motion denied," Hylas said, "I will testify in full."
"It doesn't work that way," Syliva said, "Read the bylaws. Or don't you care about our constitution?" The dragon was silently amused. She hadn't read the bylaws, but What's-her-name had, and the small woman had helped her prepare for this eventuality.
"Your majesty," Shandon said, "Is it true that your ancestor, Flaedin, was responsible for sending Caelus IV into Syliva's chambers?"
"Yes, that is true, but..."
"And is it not also true that Caelus IV entered her chambers with the intention of killing her?"
"Yes, but..."
"And isn't it true that, ultimately, Flaedin became king - and in fact, you yourself, are now king - only because of Flaedin's role in Caelus's death?"
"There's more to it than that!"
"Let the record show that Hylas's answers corroborate Lady Syliva's testimony."
"Motion to allow King Hylas to give his full account without questioning," Vaerla said.
"Motion accepted!" Hylas said.
"You're still under cross-examination," Shandon said to the king, "You can't accept a motion that ends it."
"Motion to end cross-examination," Vaerla said, clenching her fists.
"Seconded!" two of the representatives from the dwarven cities were keen to hear Hylas's version.
Shandon gritted his teeth, if he carried things too far, the crowd would sour, "The motion carries. Cross-examination ends, and I eagerly await the King's excuses for his family's decisions."
Hylas ignored the last jab, "Much of what happened occurred as Lady Syliva described. She was summoned to Caelia by members of the House of Lords, and she did engage Caelus IV in a civil war on their behalf. But my ancestor did not conspire with the House of Lords to manipulate her and Caelus IV into a final confrontation. Yes, he led Caelus IV into her castle, but it was all her idea!"
Again, the room erupted into a fury of reactions, this time ranging from skepticism to 'well of course she did'.
Hylas continued, "Syliva was hunting the countryside for Caelus's rebels, wreaking havoc and terrorizing the people. Syliva reached out to Flaedin, and offered an end to the violence. If he served Caelus up to her, she'd end her hunt, and allow Flaedin to take the crown, and begin the long road to recovery! Flaedin didn't want to betray his cousin, but she convinced him it was the only way!"
"Is that true?" Shandon shouted to Syliva without asking to be recognized.
"No." Syliva didn't feel it was necessary or wise to elaborate - after all, the best lies were the simplest, and it was very hard for someone to pick apart a single syllable answer.
"Really, you never had any contact with Flaedin?" Vaerla demanded.
"Oh, well, I suppose I did at one point seek an audience with him. I hoped at one point he might help me open a frank discussion with his cousin, and bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Nothing came of it though."
One of the rural representatives stood up, the young man was clearly nervous to put himself out in front of an audience filled with far more powerful individuals, "I would like to hear Lady Asterigennithika's account. I mean, she was part of the House of Lords back then, right? Motion to have Lady Asterigennithika testify."
"Vaerla," Shandon said, "Did you have any involvement with the Flaedin's conspiracy or the death of Caelus IV?"
"Of course not," Vaerla said.
"Then it seems your testimony would have nothing of value."
A younger orc woman stood up in the audience, "Let her talk anyway!"
"Order!" Shandon shouted, "The gallery must be quiet during proceedings! Escort that woman from-"
"Shut up Shandon," Hylas said, "You don't have floor right now. Do I have a second to the motion?"
Syliva knew someone would second it, so she jumped in and supported the motion, just to sew a delightful amount of confusion.
"Please, Lady Asterigennithika," Hylas said, "you're the only member of the House of Lords who was serving when these events took place. In all of Caelia, you're likely among only a handful of people besides Lady Syliva with direct knowledge of the events."
"What a delightful way of telling a woman she's old, Hylas," Vaerla smiled. The crowd laughed. She'd never really liked Hylas, or any of his ancestors, so she wasn't interested in sparing him, but she couldn't abide the clumsy deceptions being sewn now. "I recall that rumor within the House, at that time, would have supported your version of events. If anyone in the House ever conspired with Flaedin, against Lady Syliva, I was certainly never aware of it."
"That doesn't mean it didn't happen," Shandon said.
"It would be unusual for anything to happen without my hearing of it," Vaerla deliberately stroked one of her large pointed ears, getting a chuckle from the audience, "But you are technically correct. It's possible there was a conspiracy in the House which was hidden even from me. Unlikely, but technically possible."
"Thank you Vaer-" Hylas started, but Vaerla continued.
"What I take issue with is the accounts his majesty King Hylas and the honorable Lady Syliva have offered of a Caelian civil war. I know from seeing the tripe my daughter's friends were taught that many scrolls and books now describe it that way, but it's a fabrication. I've seen civil wars; civil wars are fought when a country becomes divided against itself. Brother against brother. Soldiers taking up arms against one another. There was no divide in Caelia when Syliva was 'summoned' here. Caelus IV had his critics, yes, but Caelia was prosperous. Syliva didn't fight the 'war' single-handedly because she cared about the men her allies would have sent to their deaths, she fought single-handedly because they had no soldiers to send. Caelus IV had no trouble raising the military against her, they were completely behind him from the beginning. They abandoned him at the end, yes, but not one of Caelus's soldiers ever turned against him. Not one Caelian citizen took up arms against Caelus IV. There were no guerillas, no freedom fighters, no revolutionaries, until Syliva gained sufficient clout to call Caelus and his knights 'rebels.' As if it wasn't his throne she'd claimed. The king says Hylas betrayed his cousin to end the violence - that might be true. I hope it is. I thought well of Flaedin when he was young, and would prefer to think he made a difficult but well-intentioned choice, than believe that would betray his blood for the throne. Regardless, make no mistake - Syliva is a monster, brought to our country by a handful of greedy, vindictive men to assassinate a king that loved his people more than his lords."
The exchanges that followed saw Vaerla's account relegated to history books like this, reported only by a few of the heralds present. People could be galvanized by two conflicting accounts, but were utterly confused by three. There was certainly a general antipathy towards elves, and Vaerla's own background was checkered to say the least, so the Nationalists and their rivals - the Monarchists - both found it easy to dismiss her words.
Syliva went on to testify about other events in the past two hundred years that implicated Flaedin's descendants in a legacy of corruption and incompetence. It was all more or less true. Technically Syliva herself had been actively complicit in the same corruption that she was revealing, to the point of having instigated most of it, but none of that mattered to her supporters; she was, after all, a greedy dragon, and so she hadn’t done anything a greedy dragon wouldn’t do. She was simply true to her nature; treacherous but earnest.
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