clay's revange

CHAPTER 5: The Beginning of War

a few weeks have passed since clay's return. His promise of rebuilding society to favor the people has come into action. He started giving speeches and preaching to the common people; peasants, farmers, middle class merchants, and workers alike, of his discoveries and studies over the past 5 years... Especially political theories, and ways to run a representative government that would significantly benefit the people.

meanwhile, in the palace, queen celeste seems distressed as she talks to one of her advisers. "your excellency, a large number of our crops and raw materials are missing..." the adviser said, "Do you think it may be uh... the TLF?" celeste asked

"Very much so. Isode has been quite troublesome, and it is a very big possibility that they're trying to bring instability to our economy and-", just then, a messenger entered the room and hurriedly runs to the queen.

"what is it now? This better be important." said celeste

"my queen, a cannonball has hit one of our ports! We have no idea where it came from, but-"

queen celeste's eyes widen. She calls for a carriage, and travels to the port... a large crowd had gathered around the cannonball, and the small fishing hut it had hit. The crowd is engulfed in an almost-incomprehensible chatter. Celeste hears multiple people speak

"what is that?" "where did that come from?" "did something explode?", Until someone shouts and warns them "DUCK! THERE'S ANOTHER ONE INCOMING!". Another cannonball was fired and hit another fishing hut only a few feet away from the crowd. The crowd frantically panics and runs and disperses... Queen celeste, being the brave strong woman that she is, runs and tries to locate where the cannonballs were coming from.

"To the left! a ship!" Someone shouted. To celeste's horror, she sees 3-6 ships by the sea, and runs off saving as much of her people as possible. "Get one of our divisions here-" she told one of her messengers, just as she saw that there was not 3, nor 5, but 10 and maybe more ships coming into view

"Get our best generals here now! Prepare the fleet, we may even have to extend our conscription and-"

"My queen!" someone interrupts, "our fleet... they've been bombarded!"

queen celeste's eyes widen. "Get me my carriage, and call all our generals and field marshals. This is a matter of national emergency." She stated.

back at the palace, the queen and her generals were conversing. Gabriella, who retired a few years prior, was there too.

"What are we facing here?" one of the generals asked,
"Could it be TLF?" another one of them commented,
"No. As far as we know, the TLF doesn't have such recourses to pull off such a feat. This is a naval invasion unlike any other we've seen... I'm not even confident if our women can face this enemy!" Queen celeste stated.

The room was filled with incomprehensible chatter, until an idea struck celeste "call clay. He may have something to know about this." she told her messenger.

The messenger arrives at clay's home, but he wasn't there, nor was he at his parents' house... It was only when the messenger was headed back to the palace when she saw clay preaching to a relatively-large crowd...

"... And we're all now familiar with the terminologies and context, yes?... Our efforts to establish a representative democracy starts today. We shall rally and protest to the nobles, show them that WE are the majority of the population! The 99%! The people!... But first, we must establish a party... A party that shall represent the common people... A Common People's Party (CPP) (oh god i now just realized how awful this abbreviation would look without context-). Workers and farmers all alike, unite!", and with this, the crowd engulfs in an applause. Clay goes backstage, where he had already seemingly assembled a few people who had become members of his party.

A popular figure of his hometown named Josefina meets him backstage

"Good evening, mr. clay" Josefina says as she gently plants a soft kiss on clay's hand

"Good evening... Josefina?..." Clay said

"Ahh! You know who I am! I'm quite flattered" remarked Josefina

"Of course! I can never forget such a popular social butterfly amongst our townsfolk, haha... And I believe you worked as a marketer for one of the most popular bakeries of the land, yes?" Clay asked curiously

"Ahh yes I did. But..." Josefina started, "I've been fired, unfortunately. Business hasn't been going very well, especially with the TLF causing so much instability to our already-crippling economy... It's quite sad, really..." Josefina sighed. She then added that she has been a big follower of clay's preaching, and that she was offering to become clay and the party's very own propaganda master. Clay was pleasantly surprised.

"My, I'm flattered..." Clay chuckled, "It's not every day that one of the best marketers of the land walks up to you and offers to lead and manage the party in terms of it's propagation hahaha... Thank you, and-"  he was then interrupted by the queen's messenger,

"the queen demands for your prescence" the messenger stated. Clay sighed, and faced Josefina, "here, talk to these people. They're, so far, my most trusted members of our small party. I'll be back to you in a moment" clay smiled.

clay and the queen's messenger then headed to the palace. As clay entered the room, the almost-incomprehensible got more and more silent.

"You wanted me, celeste?" he asked

"Yes. Do you know anything about the attack on the port?" Celeste asked

"Hmmm... Do I?" Clay scoffed

"Son, please, this is a matter of national defense" his mother, who was also there, said

"Sorry, mother... Celeste, you know how I kind of, you know... returned wearing a tricone?" clay asked. Celeste nodded, "Well I... May or may not have been a bit of a uh... a pirate- albeit a good one! I was smuggling opium off an expanding imperialist country, so I was technically doing a good deed! :D" clay said, the people in the chamber just stared at him, "So yeah... I may or may not have accidentally angered them and... led them here-". Celeste glared at clay.

"anything else you wanna add?" Celeste asked,

"well..." Clay started, "actually, celeste-" clay was then cut off by celeste slapping/hitting him... Clay, who was looking quite pitiful putting his hand gently on his cheek, looked up at celeste. The entire room focused on the two. Gabriella seemigly wanted to intervene, but was held back.

"... How come you've never properly addressed be by my title" celeste asked

"... what?" squeaked clay

Celeste smirked, "Well ever since you've got here, you've showed almost no respect to me, your queen, whatsoever. You've never addressed me by my proper title, nor have you properly spoken to me every time we converse.". Clay stayed silent. "I think it's time to display into this entire chamber, just where exactly your place is." Celeste stated

"And where is that?..." Clay asked

"Under me. Kneel." Celeste dictated.

Clay was hesitant at first, but was eventually signalled by his mother to do what he is asked, and so, he does so.

"Good... Now if you won't be much of help to us, you're dismissed." Celeste stated. Clay left the room, trying to hold back from tearing up.

author's note: sheesh, that ending was quite mean wasn't it?