Chapter 9
I met Ethan and Father waiting outside the Council chambers.
As I glanced in the mirror in this hallway, I realized I was starting to get used to this, and it almost felt right.
I had already changed so much since Mother died.
The first time we stood here, I was so nervous about these men, and worried about how they will trample on me.
Now, just a few short weeks later, I already felt confident in my ability to navigate them, at least with Father’s input.
As I examined myself in the mirror, I smiled, confident that I would once again get my way.
The doors opened, and we were announced to the Council.
Their chatter died down, and they watched as I walked in, with Father and Ethan behind me.
This is not a typical meeting, so I imagined they hadn’t had a chance to really get deep into conversations before inviting us in.
We took our respective seats, and Lord Luther called to start the meeting.
He immediately turned to me and coldly asked, “Princess Lyla, your event was last night. I believe you owe us your king’s name.”
The ire he held for me oozed out of his glare at me.
I smiled at him, offering the courtesy he attempted to deny me.
I briefly allowed my thoughts to wonder towards whether he is the reason my Mother is gone before I stood and addressed everyone.
“Good morning, Councilors. Thank you for prioritizing this special session despite your busy schedule. I have a decision after last night. I must admit, the evening was quite intense. Trying to meet all the suitors presented to me was a delicate and daunting process, but I was able to meet with each and evaluate them. However, I must admit, I find the idea of choosing a king, someone who would influence the future of our kingdom for decades to come, after just one or two songs with each of these men, to be unfair.” I paused, as many of them murmured.
I glanced at Lady Mallard and noted that she was hiding a smile.
She came from a province that would prefer to see two women ruling, as they thought that a matriarchal realm would fall more in line with the will of the Gods.
I was so very inclined to agree with their beliefs, especially when I considered how Amyra could then stay with me as my queen consort, but unfortunately, that wasn’t something the Council at large would agree to.
I returned her smile before continuing. “I know. You want to have a name today. I can confidently tell you I have narrowed my choices down to three. If you would so allow, I’d like to run a tournament of challenges on these men.
I feel that through the process of competing amongst each other, I will get a better grasp on their strengths.
In the process of preparing for and executing these trials, I can also take time with each of them to understand them at a deeper level and build a strong trust in them they will hold the values and needs of our kingdom at the same level of high regard that Father and Mother had shown me is necessary for ethical, fair governance.
Would the Council allow for such an endeavor? ”
As I expected, there were a lot of questions.
I allowed them to shout over each other in a chaotic manner for a few minutes.
Once it seemed like they would listen again, I cleared my throat.
“I appreciate the enthusiasm over this proposal, truly. Unfortunately, I’m not able to understand the concerns present when you ask all your questions at the same time. ”
I smiled with my pause, allowing the Councilors a moment with their embarrassment, and glanced to my left. With a tone filled with honey, I asked, “Lord Luther, would you like to go first?”
His eyes shot daggers for just a split second, then his face returned to neutrality.
I had gotten under his skin with this decision.
He hadn’t expected the decision and was unprepared for it.
While I didn’t want to view the Council as my enemy, I was glad that I had the upper hand here. I needed that to help me with my goal.
“Yes, Princess Lyla, I suppose first I would like to know who would be your choice if we insist you can only name one person?”
Exactly the move Father and I expected.
“Prince Spencer of Vondalon is currently my first choice. It is a slightly biased choice because of my time spent in Vondalon years ago. I know and trust him the most of all the suitors present last night. However, I think that the other two men have significant potential. I just don’t know them well enough to know their intentions at this stage.
I’d like to get to know them in a variety of situations so that I can understand who they are and feel more confident in my choice for the Kingdom’s future. ”
Lord Luther scowled. He didn’t seem to want to approve this plan, but it was hard to argue against such a reasoning. “And who are the other two men?”
“Prince Egan of Scoria Bay and Prince Frederick of Crystalford. They each held my attention in curious ways and showed unique elements of leadership. I would like to explore them further over the next few months.”
The look on Lord Luther’s face told me I just won.
Since his choice was on the list, he would be remiss to stand against this.
Also, since he was a leader among the more conservative council members, his vote would influence the others.
Lord Denenbaum suggested the other suitor.
While we still didn’t understand the choice, I knew that Lord Denenbaum represented the moderate group in the Council, so that meant their vote would be to support this, and with those six men voting in favor of this plan, it was as good as done .
“Any further questions?” I glanced down at the table on each side. I didn’t expect any.
Lady Mallard cleared her throat. “I have one, Princess, if you will allow.”
I didn’t expect her to have questions and worked to keep my face neutral as I nodded towards her, allowing her to continue to speak.
“While I support this proposal, and find it to be wise in this process of choosing a king, I must ask, how will we pay for this tournament? Will there be spectators at this event? How will we know how these men perform throughout the events?”
Internally, I felt giddy at learning that she supported my plan, but I kept my voice calm and measured.
“Thank you, Lady Mallard. These questions are very important. I must admit, budget planning is not something that I am strong with. I’d like to have the opportunity to work with Father, Ethan, and the accountants to come up with a plan for this.
Including spectators would be vital to cover some portion of costs; their tourism dollars would benefit our city’s vendors.
Lady Mallard smiled. “You will be a wise ruler, Princess. May your era bring prosperity and peace.”
As I returned her smile, Father stood up and cleared his throat. “Council, I think it is time to call for a vote. Lord Luther, are you ready?”
Lord Luther nodded and led the voting process.
The quick vote showed the Tournament was approved.
Despite my pleasure at winning this, my stomach flipped.
I just moved one step closer to choosing a husband, and one step farther from living authentically.
My eyes blinked rapidly, fighting back tears.
I didn’t know if I was strong enough to see this through.