“These demands are ridiculous!”
“Who dose this man think he is?!”
“I’ll give him what he wants when my head touches the chopping block!”
Standing outside the council chamber I'm silently laughing to myself as I'm hearing the explosive reactions to the Head Butlers words as he read off my demands before I help fix their issues. They are a bit out there and for men of this caliber it is very demanding, but if they want my assistance then they need to know sacrifice. The list I gave Marvis held only five items and read as follows.
Gentlemen of the council,
On the day of Sunday, year 20XX, I was pulled from my natural home and forced into this position to assist you with your nation’s issues. I have stated before I will not help you and I stand by that decision, I will not help you fix your petty issues. But…I will lead you in the right direction. If you want my assistance in fixing this nation I will not be just another tool for you to use and discard as your leisure. It has been brought to my attention by my current retainer, Lord Alfus Moorwrite, returning me home is currently a mere dream. So, I plan to make my time here as enjoyable and bearable as I possibly can. Therefore if you want my assistance I have a few condition for you to agree to first.
1. If it is not directly related to the correction of this nation, I do not have to listen to your demands or orders. Even if it is related I get the end all decision of if it is or is not necessary for my intervention.
2. I will take residence here in the capital for the duration of my stay with unrestricted access to all locations/documents/legal files and reports that I deem necessary for the repair of this nation.
3. Along with my residence I will take on my own personal guard detail. With the nature of my newfound work I am bound to create some unfavorable acquaintances and will require personal protection. I will hand pick those I want on my own guard.
4. I will receive a set pay once a month at the same rate as that of a standard government official to cover personal expenses.
5. There will be a new seat created and that I will occupy in this council, the seat will be the overall head and lead of this council for the duration of my time in the correction of this nation and it will not be contended. What I say will be done as long as it is with the best interest of this nation.
These demands are not negotiable and are my one and only offer. Once all members of the council have signed and stamped this document this will become a legally binding document and will be followed to the letter. There will be a copy of this document released to the public, one to each of you councilmen, one for myself, and the original document will be passed to the national archives and preserved.
Signed,
William C. Tising
The basis for the letter isn’t to remove the council from power or to take tyrannical rule over the people, but to give myself a hand in leading the nation to correction with as little resistance a possible. Points one through for were obviously for my own protection while point five outlines the beginning of the path to fixing the way things are done here.
I can’t have a dead set plan yet until I get access to the national records and the areas tax forms. With nations like this I fully expect there to be some sort of embezzlement happening and if I can get rid of that right at the start then the people will be more willing to accept my lead with less restraint. Even though I wrote in that negations was not possible I am willing to barter a little bit.
“Mr. Tising, your letter.”
Snapping me out of my thoughts Head Butler Trau hands me a rolled sheet of paper with warm wax radiating the last if it’s heat to my hand.
“They...accepted? No attempts to negotiate? No attempts to loosen any hold or remove the idea of the head seat from my?”
“No sir, after a visitor appeared and spoke a word to them, the councilmen couldn’t stamp the letter any faster. It was quite a scene.”
“What visitor? I’ve been outside this door and I saw no one go in after you.”
“The messenger did not state a name but did indicate that he worked directly for the old king, King Melromack III. A ferocious man that not many see or hear from since he removed the royal family from power.”
“He removed the royal family?”
“Yes, the old king had three children, two boys were the eldest and youngest with a daughter the middle child. After an incident the king decided to make the youngest boy the heir of the throne rather than the eldest and the news was not taken easily. The eldest challenged the youngest to a duel and killed him. It was a horrifying event and the young heir was greatly unprepared, it was all over in a matter of minutes. The youngest surrendered but the eldest did not stop and beheaded his brother, presenting the head to the king who was in audience after a couple of senior maids saw what was happening.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“What did the king do?”
“He was infuriated, drew his sword and cut his own son down on the spot. Seeing both of her brother’s die in the same day made the princess faint and she has been asleep ever since. The maids still care for her body and the kingdoms mages ensure her health is kept at peak. But the next day the king made the announcement that removed the royal family from the position of power and gave it to the heads of the common people. Though with you being here I'm sure you can tell how well that worked out, hence the reason he had you called here.”
“So I was brought here because the old king ordered it? Not because the council asked for it?”
“Correct, between you and myself, those councilmen couldn’t make a proper decision regarding the wellbeing of the people no matter how hard I tried to make it obvious. They only care about fattening their wallets and stomachs.”
Shocked for a moment because of the Head Butlers comment I blankly look at the rolled paper in my hands.
“I want to meet the old king, soon if possible.”
“I can relay your message but I will not guarantee anything. Until then shall we return to the council chamber and begin the meeting?”
Resting a hand on the door to the chamber Trau gestured inside.
“Right, there’s a lot to fix, let’s get to it then.”
Walking into the room there was a clear feeling of unease coming from each of the councilmen. Seated in two rows facing each other but refusing to look each other in the eyes the councilmen fidgeted in their chairs or with their cups as I made my way in between them. To the newly placed chair at the head of the room, its size was bigger than that of the councilmen chairs and looked more like a throne than just a chair. As I get to the seat I notice the worn out engraving in the wood and the fabric on the backrest shows what seems to have been a giant of a man sat there for ages, long enough to wear in his shape into the cushion.
“It is really okay for me to use this chair, it seems to…prominent for someone like me to use.”
“It was a decision made my King Melromack himself. He insisted you use this chair as a way to ensure the councilmen remember their place.”
The response, coming from not Trau who was beside me but from the shadow behind the chair, sounded soft and feminine. It was not loud but the voice traveled well and clear for us all to hear.
“Please come out, I would like to speak to the one who assisted me with getting the stamps.”
Assuming it is the messenger from the King, I call out on a whim and see what happens.
“Very well, we will be seeing more of each other soon so hiding my appearance is pointless.”
Again the soft voice came from behind the chair but no one appeared, I step forward in an attempt to look around the chair but I get held back by a hand on my shoulder.
“What’s wrong Trau?”
Expecting it to be the Head Butler I turn towards him but he is still standing back at the door. Instead of him, the one holding my shoulder is a woman who looks the same age as I do but has no feeling of presence, as if she could just come and go as she pleases and no one would even notice a thing.
“Did I startle you Mr. Tising?”
Releasing my shoulder, the one beside me spoke in that same voice and lowered the hood covering her face revealing shoulder length ginger and brown mix hair and bright green eyes with the pupils slit vertically like a cat. Smiling and revealing a set of pearly whites and a couple unusually sharp teeth. It sent a slight chill down my spine but I didn’t get the feeling of danger so I forced myself to relax.
“I may have jumped a bit, but it is nice you meet you. Since you already know my name may I know yours?”
“Lucil Nesta, keeper of the old royal guard and messenger for king Melromack.”
Extending her hand I notice a set of sharp nails and some slight scarring but I ignore it and grasp her hand, shaking it slightly.
“Well Lucil, again it is nice to meet you. You can relay to the old king that I appreciate the chair and hid support. I hope we have more dealings in the future. Now for the time being though, I want to get this council meeting started and begin work immediately. If you wish to sit in and observe then you are more than welcome to and ill have another chair brought in for you. But please try not to intimidate the councilmen too much.”
I walk over and take a seat in the oversized chair and gets comfortable.
“I’ll take you up on that offer, it will be interesting to see how you run things, and I'm sure the king will appreciate a live report on his chosen helps abilities.”
Giving a slight smile as she takes a seat beside me that Trau brought out.
After she gets settled I take a look around the room and take my time observing the five councilmen in the room. In this nation the five councilmen each had their own sections of land that they governed. The three larger councilmen that I'm sure were the one who rose the fuss about the demands first were Lord Mica Dalis, Lord Warren Noel, and Lord Teal Atal. The three who governed the coastal regions, central valley, and eastern plains. The other two councilmen, Lords Mica and Nica Thrum, were twin brothers that rule the northern and southern mountain regions. They were silent but Lord Nica looked uncomfortable because of the guest sent by King Melromack.
“Trau…”
“Yes Mr. Tising?”
“Can you do me a favor and retrieve a large stack of paper, ink, and a maid or butler who knows how to write well. From this point forward everything in these meeting will be documented and recorded. If possible bring two personnel who can write so it’s not too hard to keep up.”
“Understood sir, I will have it done.”
“To the Councilmen of the chamber. The first thing I will put in place, at any point in time you can be removed from the meeting if you lose your temper. This will be a place of order. When one is speaking you will not speak until they are finished. While in this room we are not thinking for our own personal gains but for the wellbeing of the people of this nation. Is that understood?”