As soon as Bo ended her call with Kenzi both Willa and Landon burst into the room which caused Bo to whirl around in their direction.
"What's happening?" Bo asked.
"Your Royal Highness, you need to see this." Willa said then called into the air. "Debate on!"
"Debate? What debate?" Bo asked. Willa pointed to the screen and on the screen was Grand Ducal Cerise Odalis on the floor of Parliament of Fae.
"My fellow members. It pains me to feel compelled to introduce a law what should be so perfectly obvious to anyone with a sense of morality." Grand Ducal Odalis said.
"What's she doing?" Bo asked.
"She's introduced a law to ban marriage between Fae and Humans, Your Royal Highness." Willa replied.
"Cerise? She's part of my Dynasty." Bo replied. Both Willa and Landon looked at her and smiled a bit. It was the first time Bo referred to the Quedaerin Dynasty, any Dynasty for that matter in the possessive. "I thought the Queen planned to introduce this before the Sphere of Judges?"
"Seems that Her Excellency decided to pre-empt the introduction." Landon replied.
"What the hell!" Bo exclaimed. "Can the Parliament overrule the Sphere of Judges?"
"Yes. If the vote cast is 95% of the body or greater." Willa replied.
"Has that ever been done?" Bo asked.
"Yes. But rarely." Landon replied.
"Do they have enough votes?" Bo asked.
"We will soon find out." Willa replied.
"But she wouldn't have introduced the question unless she thought she had it, right? And if that's the case, why even go through the Sphere of Judges then when you can just go straight to Parliament?" Bo posed.
"A decision by the Sphere of Judges is just shy of the Queen's own authority." Landon explained.
"Then what the hell?" Bo asked.
"I think what Grand Ducal Odalis intends is to introduce the question, so a formal Joint Committee can take it up and then bury it, and while in that status the Sphere of Judges cannot even hear the case." Willa replied.
"Dammit!" Bo said frustrated. "Why is she doing this?" Bo asked.
"It's a blatant betrayal that's for sure." Landon replied contemplatively. "But on the positive side it buys the question time."
"What do you mean?" Bo asked.
"Having it in committee for study, Your Royal Highness allows the Realm more time to get to know Dr. Lewis, and Agent Malikov." Willa replied.
"Rumors aside, of course." Landon added.
"The rumors about Kenzi. That she was touched by death, you mean?" Bo queried. Landon responded with a slight head tilt. "How long can this question sit in a committee?"
Willa and Landon looked at one another.
"Well?" Bo prompted.
"Depends on your point of view, Your Royal Highness." Landon replied.
"Enlighten me." Bo asked.
"In Fae terms?" Willa countered.
"Yes!" Bo replied in exasperation.
"10 years at the earliest. 50 years at the latest." Landon replied.
"Lauren doesn't have 50 years!" Bo shot.
"That is why we must strategize to have the question presented again before Parliament within 10 years." Landon replied.
"You think her motion will receive 95% support?" Bo asked.
"I think we are about to receive our answer, Your Royal Highness." Willa pointed.
Taioseach Sandalli stood up out of her chair and called for a vote to send the law to a Joint Committee of Parliament for examination.
The vote passed with 98% support.
Trick stormed into the offices of Grand Ducal Cerise Odalis.
"Cerise! How dare you introduce such a motion! And from my own Dynasty no even! What the hell were you even thinking? Were you at all?" Trick demanded.
Grand Ducal Odalis bowed low.
"Apologies, Your Excellency! It was not my desire or intent." Cerise replied.
"What the hell do you mean not you desire or intent? You just declared your disloyalty to the Dynasty before all of the Realm! On the floor of Parliament, no less! I should have you thrown from the nearest cliff for it!"
"My, my! The Blood King is still in there somewhere." Came a voice from the side of the room. Trick quickly turned in the direction of the voice and out stepped Primus Mira Levasseur.
"Mira? What is going on?" Trick asked.
"Please forgive Grand Ducal Odalis. She was acting under my direction." Mira replied.
"If a Grand Ducal of mine was acting under the orders of a Primus, as Rana I should have been informed!" Trick said.
"You are now." Mira replied.
"What is going on?" Trick demanded.
"Cerise, would you excuse us?" Mira asked.
"With pleasure." Cerise replied and quickly fled the room.
"I'm waiting!" Trick pressed.
"The dinner at Shaper's Dock revealed more than expected." Mira replied.
"Who are you watching?"
"A great many."
"Is my Dynasty compromised?"
"I cannot answer that at this time, but you must be careful about with whom you confide in."
"Her Majesty or Regent Saladin should have informed me." Trick said.
"Yes, I realize you should have been informed but you weren't so can we move past that? Besides we needed things to play out…naturally." Mira replied.
"I object that this motion came from my Dynasty!"
"It could not come from any other in order for it to be believed."
"So, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Act sufficiently outraged."
"I don't need to act outraged! I am outraged!"
"Good. That will help with the deeper mystery."
"What do you mean?"
"The motion was bait. Whoever introduced the motion is not the concern. Whomever supports the motion is the concern."
"There was a lot of support shown."
"Yes, but much of that can be dismissed as socio-political gamesmanship. What we are looking for is…dedication."
