Short scene - am having writer's block. According to the actual play, I haven't even got halfway through the first act - gah!
"Do you think Red would make a good king?"
"He has been crowned."
"Red's not God. He's not immune, and he's not perfect either. Who knows, he might not just be satisfied with being king."
"What do you mean?"
"Right now any ruler is supported by the Senate – basically relies on it. However, if the king gains too much power, he could always turn his rule into dictatorship."
"He wouldn't."
"On his own, perhaps he might not. But the people love him. And so does half the Senate – of which about three-fourths has been threatened with dismissal by Lance."
"Lance. Not again."
"Who else?"
"But…the people do love Red."
"For the while."
"I can't just turn against my sovereign like that."
"On the other hand, under a dictator, the people would have no freedom at all…not to mention Lance would be pulling the strings…and what about all that we've worked for? All these years?"
Steven sighed and turned his silver-grey eyes to his friend. He could see what Wallace was hammering at, yet… "We can't just dispose of him like that. Even the Heads of the Senate were only removed by consensus of the entire Senate."
"Except he isn't the Head of Senate. He's king. Without the consensus of the Senate."
There was a pause for a while. People brushed past them in the busy square, but neither took notice. Then Steven lifted his eyes and stared straight into the sea-blue depths of Wallace's.
"I trust you," he said simply.
Wallace nodded; that was all he needed to hear.
"What do you suggest we do, exactly?"
That had been the part Wallace had been dreading. It would have to come out, anyway, eventually, but all the same he could hardly tell the man in front of him something that would go against all his principles, change everything that he had known, and possibly turn tide of the entire century.
Fortunately, deliverance came, in the form of a person that would their fates forever.
Shadow decided to get down to business right after the formal greetings. "You did see our king being crowned?"
"Yes."
"Passing the crown back and forward. They'd practiced, of course."
"And?"
Shadow smirked. Wallace was sharp – he knew she wouldn't approach him just to state the obvious.
"While they were passing through the market, a madman told Red something."
"Which was…?"
"'Beware the Ides of March'."
Wallace and Steven exchanged a look. "The Ides of March? What does that mean?"
"The 15th of this month," Shadow supplied.
"An omen?" Steven raised his eyebrows.
"Could be a warning." A woman with long lavender hair appeared behind Shadow. She threw a meaningful glance to Wallace.
He shook his head regretfully. He would have push Steven harder.
"Winona." Steven bowed his head to his fellow politician.
Winona returned his greeting, adding, "It's about Red, isn't it? The Senate is most uncomfortable over it. It's the first time ever that's someone's become king."
Then, with more hardness and determination, "We can't let this continue. We can't."
Gah! Originshipping is HARD to write. I am bashing my head on my desk - I desperately don't want to mess this up - it's such a fail. Urgh.
I'll probably re-update this cos I really haven't got the actual sub-plot worked out (hint: it explains why Lance references Shadow in Chpt.3)
You can kind of tell that I was really pissed off at the end - I was trying to listen to Katy Perry's E.T. and the bleeding computer wouldn't load properly.