Chapter Twenty-Six #3
Moira Ashworth approached Scarlett right as the meeting was due to begin. Goose bumps covered Scarlett at the sight of the woman who looked so much like Laylani.
“Lady Heroux, wonderful to see you well. Would you like to say a few words when we begin?” Her face was a polite mask.
“Of course,” said Scarlett with a bland smile.
Moira narrowed her eyes, apparently surprised by her lack of fluster.
Scarlett’s new vox powers gave her heightened confidence.
Without them, she’d probably be nervous about giving an unrehearsed speech right after this strange news about Sigur Vieur.
First impressions were important, and lords and ladies were notoriously vicious about poor public speaking.
These were much higher stakes than all the public speaking she’d done for her politics degree.
But she’d outshine Moira, today and always, until she managed to take her down.
“You’re going to be wonderful,” said Nori. “I’m right here with you.”
“Perfect.” Moira’s smile was acerbic as she turned to the podium to start the session.
As head of the Goldenrods, she flourished in the spotlight.
Her voice carried clear and steady across the room as she addressed the peers.
“Before we begin, it has become public knowledge that Lord Jules Heroux, our dear friend and colleague, was murdered because Sigur Vieur didn’t like his politics. ”
Outrage echoed around the room as the peers cursed Sigur Vieur.
“Jules and I didn’t always see eye to eye—”
Grumblings of assent from Elestine and others confirmed that. Moira’s voice grew louder to cover the noise.
“But I believe in the right of the government of Soleil to operate without foreign influence. We must discuss our response to the news Sigur Vieur is responsible for the death of a Soleil prime minister, and as such, the budget meeting is canceled.”
Scarlett studied the faces of the peers. Everyone, Ceruleans and Goldenrods alike, was nodding. She wished her vox abilities would allow her to see how other speakers were being received, but to her disappointment, she saw nothing.
“You may have noticed we have a new peer in our midst. Scarlett Heroux is here today, ready to fill the House Heroux seat. How fitting that she joins us on the day we’ll be discussing retribution for her family tragedy. Lady Heroux, the floor is yours.”
“You’ve got this!” cheered Nori. “Let the rise of Scarlett Heroux begin!”
The back of Scarlett’s neck prickled at her light’s encouragement as she made her way to the front of the room. Although she was confident, her palms were sweating, and her heart raced as she stared out at the vast room filled with almost two hundred of her colleagues.
This is for you, Dad.
When she spoke, her voice was strong. “It’s an honor and a privilege to join the leaders of Soleil, and I’m relieved to be here to speak on my father’s behalf. If he were here, he’d tell us to put the citizens of Soleil first.”
Peers in the audience spoke in barely lowered voices, as was common during a speech, but streams of gold dust rose into the air above them.
Relieved, she continued. “I’m optimistic we’ll be able to realize many of his dreams. My deepest desire is to open the economic borders in order to raise the standard of living for those in Soleil, as well as those abroad.”
Enthusiastic clapping and foot-stomping sounded from the Cerulean side of the room.
“Not again,” said a loud voice. A few laughed in response.
Scarlett’s eyes darted toward the man who’d spoken—a handsome and impeccably groomed Goldenrod sitting near the front. She didn’t need her powers to know his opinion. As expected, black smoke was dominant above his head. She smiled at him, but he didn’t meet her gaze.
On the broader Goldenrod side, there was a considerable amount of black smoke, but also more gold than she expected.
Scarlett tried her best to memorize the faces of the opposition who might be open to working with her as she pivoted back to Soleil’s well-being.
As expected of the hundred peers sitting on the Cerulean side of the room, gold smoke rose above the majority, with only a few wisps of black.
Scarlett went on. “In regard to the news about Sigur Vieur, I look forward to seeing the evidence. I’m particularly interested in learning why it took weeks to have this breakthrough.”
She looked around the room and found all eyes on her. The murmurs had died down. Scarlett hesitated. Would what she wanted to say get Brayden in trouble? No—she’d seen in the news this morning that the situation in Evory was public knowledge now.
She continued. “I just returned from Clair de Lune, where their attention is on the escalation between Evory and Sigur Vieur. Why would Sigur Vieur want to make enemies of two powerful countries simultaneously? Separatism and warmongering are not how I wish to avenge my father.”
“It’s disgusting to hear you make excuses for your father’s killers,” said the same lord who’d spoken dismissively about her comments on the border. This time she didn’t even glance his way.
Her words were bold, she knew. She was far from the best briefed in the room—or was she?
No one else had heard about the likelihood of war from the future head of the Clair de Lune military.
The other peers stared back at her with shock and what looked like respect.
A mix of black and gold rose above them, but to her satisfaction, the gold was more prominent.
Not bad considering she’d just slagged off the Soleil Bureau.
“As I said, I look forward to seeing the bureau’s evidence. I’m still grieving my father’s death, but in spite of recent events, I believe in Soleil’s bright future. Lady Ashworth, thank you for the warm welcome. To all my peers, I look forward to working together.”
As she finished, the gold smoke overtook even more of the black.
Most of them liked my speech!
There was a round of applause and the thunderous noise of feet stamping the ground from the Ceruleans as she made her way back to her seat.
All the tension left Scarlett’s body. She’d dominated her first parliamentary address.
As she passed Moira, the woman lifted her chin, her lips pressed tight into a thin line.
“Exceptionally well-done speech for an off-the-cuff introduction,” Elestine whispered to her, looking pleased. “I don’t think Moira expected you to rebuttal her politicking. I’ll say, you’ve got all the charisma Jules had and maybe a touch more, if that was any indication.”
The compliment made Scarlett warm with pleasure. She loved being compared to her dad.
“Thanks, although I still had a heckler. Who was he?”
“That’s Lord Federsin. You can give up on winning him over. He’s as dogmatic as they come.”
“Seemed that way,” said Scarlett. He’d probably be annoying her every day from now on. Welcome to Parliament.
“Well done, Scarlett,” said Alastair from her other side. Scarlett ignored him.