In the Shadows~zayn au~Completed ✅EDITING

~Chapter 5: In the Council Chambers~

At exactly 7:30, Kalysta entered the council chamber to find that everyone was already seated.

"All companies are present," her father said, as was tradition, "and the proceedings may begin. Princess, you have the floor."

The ambassador looked extremely surprised by this, but he masked it a second later, putting that apathetic blank face back on.

Kalysta walked to her seat, but did not take it, simply standing. For a moment she let the awkward silence fill the room as she glanced at each person there. She sensed her father's amusement beside her, as if he knew of her effort to make the representatives of Mullingar uncomfortable.

It was working. The ambassador's consults didn't shift with nervousness, but their eyes darted around with trepidation as if waiting for assassins to leap from the shadows. Their leader did not join them in fear.

Ambassador Zayn sat quietly, his arms crossed against his chest. He held her eyes when they landed on him and he narrowed his in confusion and some suspicion.

"Representatives," she began finally, "we are gathered here to discuss the differences between our two great nations. We will all make efforts to be rational and respectful regardless of gender. Hold to this and may we come to a resolution of merit. Ambassador Zayn, you have the floor. Express your suit."

The ambassador stood as Kalysta took her seat. However, defying the edicts of royalty, he failed to acknowledge her introduction, thereby showing he did not respect her authority in this meeting. He simply began.

"I come on behalf of Murdoch, King of Mullingar, Ruling Lord of the state of Bradford, and highest among the leaders of Dalitrise." He was off to a bad start. Not only had he failed to acknowledge her, but he slighted every other ruler in Dalitrise in his backhanded way. "It has come to his attention that the decline in Elysium has reached a dangerous level," he continued.

Decline? What the hell? Kalysta thought.

"Although our two nations have never completely agreed, we have held cordial trade for countless years. However," he said, his voice growing louder, "with the disturbing news of deteriorating morals, Mullingar must question what danger we all face if we do not intervene. Time and time again you have scorned traditions upheld in Dalitrise for centuries.

"We granted you leniency, made excuses, until Princess Kalysta was named heir to the throne of Elysium. Never before has a woman been named heir and with good reason! Women are not to be trusted with rule! This rejection of necessary tradition should have warned us which direction you were headed, but still we tried to see past it."

Kalysta was gobstruck. She knew the idiocy they believed in Mullingar, but hearing it from this swine's mouth was something else entirely. He stood there spouting his disgusting venom as if Mullingar's putrid way of life was ordained by the gods.

"The second strike," the ambassador continued, "was noted when you decreased trade restrictions and removed extradition agreements with the other nations. With all of the traffic coming in and out of Elysium, your country is a den of criminals. You have encouraged people to trade and indeed settle here, but your invitation disguised the fact that you offer asylum for the lawbreakers of your fellow nations. Asylum and no extradition to pay for crimes committed? Another strike against you."

"The third and most recently noted problem in the eyes of the other nations was the apparent disintegration of your class system here. The classes have been established for a reason. Nobles rule and protect, the lower classes serve and thrive. That's the way it has always been. In recent years you have seen fit to go against generations of prosperous existence! Another tradition, thrown out in favor of what can only hurt us all in the long run!