Arwinter Palace...Some time after the death of Handor & the resurrection of Queen Calca
Jircniv sat in his private council room while he listened to the two priests speak.
"Sire, we have heard from priests from around the Empire, E-Rantel, Re-Estize, the Draconic Kingdom, the Northern Holy Kingdom, the Sorcerous Kingdom, the Southern Holy Kingdom...and...the Argland Council has expressed an interest in observing the proceedings while not acting in a participatory manner." The old man said.
"Argland has expressed interest...but the Slane Theocracy seems to be off that list?" He asked curiously.
"Yes sire, they seem to think they can slow the synod date by delaying their answer, or perhaps find some way to invalidate it by virtue of their absence." He replied.
"But why is Argland interested?" Jircniv asked. "They don't worship our gods."
"True, but they have heard of the Sorcerer King's power, and they do have a fondness for that." His comrade replied, to which Jircniv could only nod in agreement. "Who can blame them, that is the difference between the life and death of a nation."
"Will Pope Neia be in attendance?" He asked curiously, "She no longer worships the six or the four." As he asked the question, he remembered the terrifying eyes of the woman who had won the close favor of the Sorcerer King. Idly he wondered if she was wiser than he was, after all, she went over to him quickly after meeting him, while he...the emperor...had tried to defeat him, then yielded while trying to get out from under him, and then finally capitulated, and only much belatedly recognized Ainz Ooal Gown as more than just a highly intelligent undead, but a true ruler and the greatest boon to the world ever to appear, including a comparison to the old gods.
Idly he wondered how much farther along he'd be in progressing his country if he'd gone over as fully as Neia had as swiftly as she had. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he could still say proudly that he was the first kingdom to offer itself over to the immortal king.
"We have received word that they will attend, her church administrators in Hoburns have assured us of that, but there is one problem." He said.
"Oh?" Jircniv asked.
"Yes sire, it seems that the new council has elected a king with strong ties to the Slane Theocracy, a man of the South, distantly related to Handor. Duke Astraka, and he's taken to stripping church priests of their position and their title as priests if he suspects that they're guilty of any form of heresy or sympathy towards Black Justice." The old priest's voice was filled with outrage as he spoke, it was a blatant and shameless manipulation, one never before seen in the six hundred year history of the church.
"The fools." Jircniv said, "They have no idea just what a grave mistake they've just made."
"Sire?" They asked in unison.
Jircniv sighed, "That's right, you haven't heard."
"Heard what?" They asked, again in unison.
"Queen Calca has been restored to life, she is currently residing in Nazarick, I have met her myself, and she has been seen by almost every significant ruler outside of the Slane Theocracy and the Holy Kingdom, and what is more...the Sorcerer King is going to restore her to the throne."
They could scarcely believe their ears. "She lives?!" The old priest marveled.
"She does, and it is definitely her, the Argland council's Platinum Dragon Lord checked her personally, she is not ensnared by magic and she is not a simulacra or a golem or anything of that nature, she really is who she seems to be. The Sorcerer King sent her to several gatherings unescorted by himself or any of his people, ensuring that she was not being coerced, it is really her, and the Slane Theocracy's plan is utterly screwed. She can reverse all the edicts stripping Black Justice of rights...and she will. She can reverse all the punitive manipulations stripping priests of their status...and she will. She has the right to rule...and if the Sorcerer King gets his way...and he will...well...then she will."
"Do you think he saw this coming?" Jircniv was asked in awe.
"I would not be surprised, of course she serves well as a just cause, but even if he didn't see it taking this route, well she serves the same end in countering the move. They are all out of options. Their attempt at stripping the Synod of compromise or of bucking tradition or at even overturning some or all of the old religion, is now going to backfire, and horribly. Such blatant corruption will not sit well with your fellows, will it?" Jirciv asked.
The pair of heads shook together, "No, no it will not, the old gods services have long been subsumed into the interests of politics, and such blatant attempt at controlling the faith will not sit well with many, siding with the Sorcerer King seems like an act of defiance against corruption, and it is hard to argue otherwise, just as it is hard to argue that he is not the god that Neia Baraja claims he is."
"I do not envy them." Jircniv said.
"Nor do we." The priests agreed.
"So you will allow Argland's attendance?" He asked.
"We will, they are welcome to observe the public debate and the vote, and we may even call them as witnesses if they have special knowledge, but beyond that they will have no control or ability to influence the synod by vote." The elderly priest answered.
"The world is changing so very fast." Jircniv sighed, "For the better I think, but it is not easy to keep up."
The priests actually laughed, "Try it when you're as old as we are young man." They said with a chuckle.
"If we do this right, I won't have to." Jircniv said with a smile, "Thank you for your time, please return to your duties and I hope to speak with you again soon."
The men stood, bowed, and exited his private office.
...Re-Estize Kingdom...Throne room...
Zanac looked deeply troubled, the royal faction was fucked six ways from Sunday, his sister was inconsolable with the loss of Climb, his father was dead, and the idiotic and incompetent faction lead by Philip now had enough power and wealth that if they chose to start a civil war, there wasn't a chance he could stop them without foreign aid, and worse than that, they've been clammoring for closer ties to the Slane Theocracy for reasons that he could only conclude were driven by Theocracy gold. That was Renner's conclusion when she had a short bout of sanity before descending into silent misery again, she pointed out that her attendants had gotten much in the way of theocracy change for purchases, suggesting a large glut of theocracy coin on the marketplace, and pointing out that the incompetent faction's nobles were much better off all of a sudden.
Zanac was not the genius that Renner was, he knew that. But he also knew all to well, as did Marquis Raeven, what this meant for their country. So the two men sat alone in council, while Renner refused to leave her room.
"The people are benefiting from the Sorcerer King's grain and his many attempts at supporting them." Raeven pointed out.
"But the noble faction...including the incompetent ones, are drawing heavily on theocracy gold, they don't care who feeds the common people." Zanac pointed out.
The two sighed in unison. "We are a nation divided against itself." Raeven said.
"Its worse than you think." Zanac said as he leaned in, Raeven leaned closer with a sense of dread.
"My father didn't die, he was murdered, and what's more...well I know what people think of me...but I'm not stupid, I don't think it is a coincidence that the Royal faction's heirs stopped showing up at gatherings, or that the royal faction has stopped acting in support of me, I think they've suffered kidnappings, or perhaps murders, while the noble factions have been bribed, with as many incompetents as there are among them, that had to be easy. My sister knows only about the coin, but as I said...its obviously worse." Zanac wiped his face and slumped forward, exasperated.
"You know, I might have somewhat mistreated that boy Climb in the past, spoken more harshly to him than I should have, but he was a brave one when my father needed him on the Katze Plains, and he was more valuable to keeping my sister stable than I ever realized. If he survives all this, maybe we should give him a noble title, I think there are plenty of estates that are going to end up empty of owners before all is said and done." Zanac said with seriousness and sardonic tones blended together.
Raeven couldn't argue the matter, instead he said softly..."My son was taken too..." Zanac shot up like a bolt of lightning.
"I don't know how, but I know this..we are being pulled towards war, and taking our heirs and families was done so that we would not stand in the way of it. My first thought was that this was the work of the undead, but it is the noble faction that is pulling us in to ally with the Theocracy, while we would prevent it, and so I must conclude that we have only one possible course of action...quietly forge ties with...I hate to say this...truly...the Sorcerer King, he is supporting our people, if we offer vassalization to him in exchange for his support, those idiots might not take us all down with them. Then you can give climb his title, because a lot of those...as you say...will be empty of competing claims."
"I'm surprised to hear that out of you..." Zanac said softly, "After what happened...there..."
Raeven looked away, "I know. Now. At the time we thought we were making the best choice, how could we know otherwise...and yes, the grief was great, I lost my adventurers, I lost many of my people, the King lost his greatest champion. But time mends reason like it does hearts, you know...a long time ago, before my son was born, I wanted the throne. After he was born, my ambition changed." He turned his head back to Zanac in a sudden jerking motion. "My ambition became to create a stable kingdom, one that was strong and prosperous and secure, I'd rather serve in a gilded heaven than be king over a pile of ashes, and now my Kingdom, my home...its all being driven by those zealots who would throw us all into the fire to fight the king who feeds our people. In retrospect the Sorcerer King acted to prevent a larger war, and he refrained from killing more than he had to in order to win completely, and he has done much not only to help us, but to build up those he rules. Between all that...and the taking of my son by what I am certain is Slane Theocracy instruction...I know where my interests truly lie. There must be some way to get a message to him without risking my child's life."
Zanac grimaced, "Perhaps my sister can help, she met the prime minister of the Sorcerer Kingdom and seemed to get on well with her, it may be that they correspond, and it would be nothing unusual if they exchanged letters."
"Then...lets go see her now...if she's not yet functional, then we wait until she is." Raeven said with resignation.
So they walked alone down the long hall to the room of the princess, and after a brief knock, they entered, only to find it empty. "Perhaps she's gone to eat?" Zanac said hopefully, "If so, she should be back soon, we'll just wait here...why are you staring at me?" Zanac said with confusion as he saw the expression on the face of Marquis Raeven.
The Marquis raised his finger and pointed behind Zanac, who turned to see a black hole crackling with power around it, hovering in the middle of the room, and from out of that black hole, stepped a radiant and smiling golden princess. "Brother dear, I'm so glad you came to see me." She said, sporting the obsessive smile that showed them who she truly was behind her gentle mask. "We have a lot to discuss, won't you sit down?"
AN: I know, this is short, I had more I wanted to add...but...spoilers...trying to avoid them.
So...think of it as a small vignette and just enjoy that you got a triple today. Reviews are welcome.