Rolan, clutching several parchments, hurried through the Senate House towards the main chamber. The Leader of the Senate had asked for him to bring all of these parchments for use in deciding how to deal with a tax dispute involving some powerful merchants. As one of his supporters, Rolan was all too happy to oblige. He rushed past an open window, briefly glancing out at Port Kaprea, the City of Gulls.
He rushed past various servants of Senators, themselves carrying parchments and messages. Rolan did not wish to compare himself to them. He was,after all, a Senator himself, the makers and maintainers of the law. Like his father, and his father before him he had entered the Senate, and now as a 40 year old he had his sights set on a nice high position to retire in.
For now, his thoughts were settled on delivering the parchments to their destination. Eventually he found himself at a large oaken door. He knocked twice and then pushed the door open. He shuffled in and up some stone steps to the main part of the study, not failing to notice the shields that bore each Senate Leader’s name, from the very founding to the latest. He was currently sitting at his desk, poring over a letter. Lyson Blackwaters was his name.
He looked up as Rolan gave a cough.
“Ah, Senator Swiftboat. I assume those are the papers I asked for?”
“Of course, Captain.” It was custom in the senate for it’s leader to be referred to as captain, due to the seaborne heritage of the republic. Lyson took the parchment from Rolan and placed them aside, before waving the letter gently in the air.
“I just received this. It’s from Ambassador Caius.” Rolan noted that he refused to refer to the bastard by his last name, as did most in the Senate.
“Oh? He hasn’t been murdered has he?”
“No, but apparently he just crossed the border, so he should hopefully be safe and sound in his uncle’s arms.”
“And then he’ll be sent back in a box a few days later?”
“Would save us all some trouble, that’s for certain.” Lyson took a sip from a nearby wine glass.
Drinking while working,Rolan wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about that.
“Now, about the vote coming up today.” Lyson began.
Rolan nodded, still standing. The vote in question happened to been proposed by a group of radicals,calling for an abolishment of the Bastard Laws. The Laws prevented a bastard from having children or being married. In fact it all but excluded them from public office, but Caius had broken that barrier.
“There’s no doubt it will fail, Captain.”
“Oh yes, but they bring this up after every bloody election.We need to deal with this problem at the source.”
“What, murder them?”
“No. Treason would be a good crime to catch them in. But for that we’d need an insider.” He glanced up at Rolan.
“What? Me?”
“Yes. Your grandfather kept out of the Liberation War until the last minute and your father took no position on anything. Now, if you’d like to pass your seat to your sons, I’d suggest that you do as you are ordered.”
Rolan’s eyebrow gave a nervous twitch. He was right of course, it was only through Lyson’s support that he was in the senate at all and he had many ways to ensure that his two boys would not achieve the same success.
“How would I go about joining the group then?”
“Well, vote for abolishment today. Cast your stone into the pot and they’ll notice you. Then, I want you to keep an eye on them, go to their meetings and lunches. Endure their insufferable preaching on the rights of bastards and then, wait until one of them mentions something treasonous.Then we’ll have them all dangling from the harbour walls.”
Rolan shuddered. Being thrown off Port Kaprea’s harbour wall,tied by your hands to a long rope, to be smashed against the wall by the waves,was not something he would want to risk.
“And what’s in it for me if I do this?”
“Well, I think a promotion of the highest order. How does Keeper of the Wines sound?”
Rolan nodded eagerly, Keeper of the Wines was a very comfortable job, after all who wouldn’t kill to control the contents of Kaprea’s wine cellar?
“Very well Captain, when the vote comes I’ll do it.”
“Excellent.” Lyson laughed aloud as a servant popped his head round the door.
“Captain Blackwaters, the Senate will be gathering in ten minutes.”
Lyson stood up and drained his wine glass.
“I believe that’s our deal complete. Now, I need to get ready for the Session, I do hope you go through with our little plan.”
Rolan nodded and headed out, closing the door behind him. It appeared that his family’s neutral stance would have to be subverted in order to maintain their position. Still, he didn’t really think it would be such a difficult task.
He turned right after exiting and headed towards two large open doors. Within lay the Senate chamber, on each side of the room lay three long benches. Of the 300 Senators elected every single year 150 sat in this chamber, the others being sent to govern the smaller holdings around Kaprea.
It was still a tight fit with all the Senate there, like there would be today.
A few Senators were here already, patiently waiting on the benches. With a sigh, Rolan heaved himself onto one of the benches. He was definitely passing his prime, sitting down was less easier than it had been five years ago.
10 minutes later, the Senate hall was full, a bustling mess of old and young men alike. And they all fell silent as three loud drumbeats sounded from two drummers near the end of the hall, where there lay a large chair made of limestone. Next to it lay two other chairs made of granite. At the drumbeats, Lyson walked in through the door, heading up towards his chair. Behind him walked the Sword Master of Kaprea, Arnos Strongtide, he was in charge of Kaprea’s military. Next to him stood Wallos Sharpwind, The Sail Master, the leader of Kaprea’s strong navy.
The three walked to their respective chairs, with Lyson sitting atop the Limestone Seat. The drums beat three more times, signalling the beginning of the session.
“Members of the Senate. Let us begin this meeting with the vote proposed by Senator Stormsail. I see no need for a debate, as he placed his arguments quite extensively in an extremely long and tedious letter.”
Burst of laughter echoed around the Senate. Lyson raised his hand and two servants carried in two wooden barrels. Behind them two others carried another barrel filled with pebbles.
“We all know how this works, all those voting against this proposition place the pebbles in the box to your left. To vote yes, place the pebble in the barrel to your right.”
The Senators filed down and grabbed one stone each from the barrel before throwing it into their chosen barrel. Rolan picked up his and stood in front of the barrels.
What am I lettingmyself in for…he wondered as he tossed the pebble into the barrel on his right. From his position, it was clear who was going to win, the ‘No’ barrel was filling up fast, while the other barrel had practically nothing, in fact he heard the thump of stone on wood as his pebble went in. He wasn’t surprised,the radicals were called that for a reason; very few senators were willing to go as far as they were.
The votes didn’t even need to be counted, Lyson simply looked inside the barrels and sat back down, a small smile on his face.
“The results are clear. The motion is rejected.” With that a small murmur echoed around the senate and about ten or so Senators got up out of their seats and left the room. Apparently the radicals were disgruntled over the result.
“Now, onto more regular business.” Various reports were read out on the state of the realm, particularly on the fate of Senator Cuell. There were several reports from several different places that he had set up shop as a bandit, one claimed that he’d become a local bard in a remote village and yet another claimed that he had fled to Amorta. The fact was that nobody knew where the man was and what he planned to do next.
After four hours of discussing the various reports and some lively debate on the issues, Lyson raised his hand and three drumbeats sounded again.
“Thank you all for your time gentlemen. We’ll meet again in three days time, for now be off and try to put the plans discussed today into action.” With that he rose and all the other senators began to file out of the room, discussing the events of the day with their neighbours. Rolan stroked his beard as he left, quite pleased with the day. Apart from the vote, things had gone as well as usual.
As he left the Senate building and walked down its long steps, he was joined by a man with a long bushy black beard.
“Ah, Senator Stormsail! Bad luck on the vote.”
“That’s why I’m here to talk to you. I noticed that you threw in your lot with us, have you picked up our banner, joined our cause?”
“Well, I must confess that young Caius being elected made me see that there wasn’t much difference between us and them.”
We can still both hang he thought to himself.
“I see. I’m having dinner tomorrow with a few of our loyal senators and I would be delighted if you came along.”
“Oh, the pleasure would be all mine. Your house is on People’s Road, correct?” That was where most of the Senatorial families had their dwellings, Rolan himself owned property not too far away from there but the People’s Road was the home of thereally influential families.
“Correct. I do hope you attend, I have something very special to show you all.” Stormsail nodded and headed away.
Rolan turned away and headed down the steps, past the two giant statues that rose with the staircase, both of Blackgull, the founder of the Republic, whose Coat of Arms was adopted by the whole nation. He was holding a sword to the throat of a disfigured creature, which was supposed to be the Emperor . The story went that he forced the Emperor to recognise Kaprea as a state and then cut his throat in front of his son and the entire Amortan army, at the very gates of Amorta City.
As he reached the bottom of the steps, he headed out into the busy Kaprean streets. Groups of sailors were wandering around after long and hard voyages. The backbone of Kaprea’s wealth was below sea level and ships journeyed around the nation, bringing in resources from the rest of Kaprea.
Thesmell of fish reached even this far from the docks, and a stiff sea breeze filled Rolan’s nostrils. The Senate House, high above the bustle, didn’t
get such a smell.
He headed down the various streets until he reached his own,Swiftboat Street, named after his grandfather. That was one of the reasons he hadn’t moved to a place more suited to his family’s position, he simply was loyal to his family’s name. His house was built of stone bricks, painted over with a brilliant white paint. Two huge pillars stood before the entrance, with the doors standing near six foot tall, the house itself standing 3 stories high.
He strolled up the steps and entered the house, entering agreat entrance hall with a huge staircase opposite the door. On either sides of the room lay two more doors, which led to the dining room and the servant’s quarters.
As he entered, one such servant ran up. She bowed before him.
“Senator Swiftboat! We had no idea you’d be back so early!”
“Not a problem Mary. I’ll have some wine in my study in about an hour. Now, where is my wife?”
“Oh, she’s playing with the two boys, Master.”
“Thank you.” Logan smiled and walked past Mary, up the stairs, before turning left. There was a long corridor with three doors on either side. He entered the last of the rooms on the right and found his wife reading his two boys a story.
“And the brave soldier and beautiful princess were married at last and all the land was at peace.” She smiled as she finished, before gazing at Logan in surprise.
“Oh. Run along boys, your father is here.” They obeyed,giving their father a respectful nod as they left. He wasn’t really the hugging type when it came to children but he loved them all the same.
“Back so soon?” his wife asked.
“Business was short today. Thank Karm for that. Anyways Sora, I won’t be in tomorrow evening, not until late at least.”
“Oh? Another dinner with Captain Blackwaters?”
“No… with Senator Stormsail.”
Sora furrowed her eyebrows.
“What? Why would you go to dinner with that man? Doesn’t he want to make bastards superior to the rest of us?”
“Something like that. Captain Blackwaters insisted that I get close to them. He wants the lot of them arrested for treason but unfortunately he needs that pesky little thing called evidence.”
“That sounds dangerous…what if they find out you’re a spy?”
“It won’t come to it. At least, I hope not. I just need to get some evidence that they are plotting against the Republic and then they’ll be arrested. No real risk really.”
“Well…if you are sure about this.”
“Thanks for your support, my dear.” Rolan smiled and kissed her on the lips, before drawing back and heading for the door.
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Empire and Republic (Updated Chapter 15) 9th April
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ed who in Amorta. You’ll be fine and hopefully your uncle will be just as kind.” Arol replied, clearly trying not to sound condescending 
Originally Posted by General Brewster
