Four days came and went in the blink of an eye. Between preparations for the town hall and the daily responsibilities of restoration projects, Dunban spent little time with Melia. She was always needed in one place or the other; the few times her attention wasn't occupied by cabinet members, the Empress was reminded by her assistant to focus on completing her own tasks, which forced Melia to cancel their evening meetings.A small pang of disappointment rippled through him but quickly stilled; she was busy and he could find ways to keep himself occupied. It was easy to find something to do. Kiefer was in desperate need of help, as his team was stretched between arranging for security and finishing off the last repairs to the electric grid for the Whitewing palace. All to eager to put his hands to use, Dunban volunteered his skills for electrician duties.
When the sun rose on the fifth day, Dunban could feel the buzz of excitement in the air as he headed towards the assembly hall. As the Homs made his way through the city, he saw Entia and Homs Entia alike crowding together, whispering. Something told him they were anticipating the activities of the day. Melia had been right; this election was bringing the High Entia together, regardless of their ethnic mix.
The town hall wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, but there were still plenty of things to do in preparation. Camar had made that abundantly clear the previous evening when he had stopped by the Whitewing palace, just as Dunban finished the repairs. Diplomatically, Dunban offered his services, though Camar's words weren't so much of a request rather than a command. Camar rattled off a few dozen things that the Homs could make himself useful doing that morning, and Dunban patiently agreed to do what he could. There would be a time when Dunban put Camar in his place, but this was not it.
As Dunban and Camar plunged through the tasks in the auditorium, Dunban occasionally glimpsed Kiefer and Melia, accompanied by four guards, moving between the aisles, across the stage, and backstage as they assessed the security precautions. Between the black, tailored suit she wore, the alertness of her gaze, and the commanding tone in her voice, Melia appeared as if she were ready for battle. He too also saw the occasional glance over her shoulder, or the wandering of her eyes towards each unattended corner. He sensed a wariness in these movements. Briefly, he wondered if she had discussed her suspicions with Kiefer about the possibility of sabotage.
Two hours later, Miriall lead a group of Homs Entia and Entia into the assembly room, arranging them each behind a pedestal on the stage. Observing, Dunban sat in the very top row, his work done. These must be the candidates. Most of them, from what he could discern (though he was no expert on the subject), appeared to be middle-aged. Only two were elderly. Yet they all walked with a certain stiffness that told Dunban they were as nervous as the rest. Unexplored territory could make people overact.
"Welcome. It's wonderful to meet you all," Melia called out as she walked towards them, her armed entourage following. "I trust that Miriall has briefed you all on the rules of today's town hall." Many nodded and she continued, "In case you forget, there is a copy on each of the pedestals for you to refresh yourselves. Now, I expect this to be an eloquent display of your thoughts and opinions. As there are many of you, you will not be able to answer each question, but I will do my best to get to as many as possible. Please remember: opening statements are two minutes each, an answer to a question is one minute, and closing statements are two minutes as well. I'm happy to take any questions you have now before the doors open."
A few minutes later, people began to enter the assembly hall and fill in the seats. Dunban joined Kiefer and Camar in the booth on the mezzanine of the auditorium. From this vantage point, the Homs could see each attendee and the entirety of the participants scattered across the stage. Minutes passed as people continued to file in and take seats, the sounds of their voices dispelling the serene silence.
Then Melia appeared. She took center stage, and the crowd fell silent. It was as if a spell had fallen over all of them; no one could look away from her. She radiated in the stage lights. He could feel himself holding his breath, waiting for her to speak.
"She was born for this. No matter what anyone says." Kiefer remarked, arms folded over his broad chest.
Dunban nodded. "Yes, she is."
"It is a coward who tries to tear her down."
Dunban gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing. Did he know?
Before he could give it any more thought, Melia spoke, commanding the attention of all eyes in the assembly hall. "Welcome, everyone. Today, is a historic day in which we begin the election process for the People's Council. The People's Council existed thousands of years ago before it was dissolved in a time of war. Now, we reinstate this institution as we rebuild our civilization. Please join me in welcoming the candidates for the People's Council to the stage. These candidates desire to be your voice in our government. Listen well to how they answer the questions you have submitted as your votes will decide who will have the honor to represent you. Now, let us begin." Her inspiring words reverberated off the walls and were soon drowned out by applause. She took a seat, her back to the audience.
The next four hours rolled by without much mishap. The opening statements ranged from verbose and eloquent to angry and tactless, resulting in a few uncomfortable silences. A few lighting and sound glitches disrupted the flow, but were immediately rectified, and eventually the speeches were concluded. Dunban thought he saw Melia's shoulders tense as they came to a close. Now, all bets were off. The questions could provoke all sorts of responses from both the candidates and audience alike.
As the question and answer section got underway, it became apparent which candidates were most informed about the issues most relevant versus those who had their own agendas. In fact, a few answers given by a particular Homs Entia candidate resulted in booing from the crowd while a few answers from a different Entia candidate brought cheers from the onlookers. Melia did her best to keep peace and order in the assembly room, and most of her efforts were successful in soothing the crowd with her voice, or determindedly cutting off overbearing candidates midsentence. However, there were moments when the crowd became rowdier than anticipated, and the Empress banged her gavel to the displeasure of everyone's ears, calling everyone to order. But sometimes, she simply allowed the jeers and cheers of the audience to continue for many seconds before taking control of the situation.
Finally, the candidates gave their closing statements, some trying to save face after a disasterous performance while others basked in the glow of approval and attention of the High Entia. As they filed off the stage, Dunban watched Melia, her face aglow with relief. But she was immediately blocked from sight as her guards surrounded her, readying for her departure. As she exited, Melia reached to outstretched hands from those seated, greeting them and sharing pleasantries. It seemed in the matter of a week and a half, Melia had successfully turned the tide of favor towards herself.
"I'd say that went well." Dunban said as the guests flooded out of the assembly, the sounds of voices dying as they exited the building.
Kiefer nodded in agreement.
"As good as possible. We should have vetted the candidates before." Camar sniffed, presumably irked by the technical difficulties the lighting had encountered. Dunban was certain the Homs Entia would find someone other than himself to blame.
"The whole point of this is for the people to choose their representatives. If we were to vet the candidates, the public wouldn't have a chance to voice their opinions." Dunban calmly reminded the Homs Entia.
Camar snorted. "What about the questions?"
"You know as well as I do that the questions were chosen based on relevance. There's no possible way that we could've asked all of them anyway." Dunban chided, feeling his patience grow thin.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. The people don't know what they need."
"And you know better?"
"Gentlemen, the Empress has requested your presence at the Royal Villa this evening." A voice said from behind them, interrupting the impending argument. Serenity bowed quickly, as if she were embarrassed to have spoken at all.
"Is there something wrong?" Kiefer questioned, immediately wary.
"No, no. Not at all. Quite the opposite actually. She'd like to celebrate the success of this afternoon's event." Serenity said hastily.
"Alright, we'll be along shortly." Dunban responded. Serenity curtsied and left as quickly as she had arrived. The assembly hall was now empty, save for the three cabinet members. Quickly, they gathered their belongings, shut off the lighting, and locked the hall.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Royal Villa, with Serenity waiting at the entryway. She lead them towards the west wing, away from where Dunban's quarters and Melia's were. Oranges and dull yellows filtered through the stained glass windows and crisscrossed across their path as they moved through the corridors towards a large ornate door at the end of the hall. As they neared the door, two guards pulled it open, revealing a lounge filled with High Entia. Dunban's eyes swept the crowd, and he recognized the guests as the cabinet members and their respective teams.
"There you are! We were wondering when you'd get here." Songya sauntered over to the newcomers, a glass of champagne in hand. Her words were directed at all three of the men, but her eyes solely focused on Kiefer.
"Isn't this wonderful? Apparently, the Empress imported it all from Frontier Village. Without any of us knowing!" Miriall cheered, coming up behind Songya. "I wonder when she had the time to do that..."
"Well, after all the work we did, we deserve it." Camar sniffed.
"Come on. Let's get you something to drink." Songya said and pulled Kiefer into the crowd.
Left with Camar and Miriall, Dunban was about to make polite conversation when Camar abruptly walked away and Miriall was called over by a group of Entia. Now alone, the Homs weaved around the outside of the room and picked up a glass of champagne, watching the scene unfold. Faces of guests were alight with happiness, reveling in the apparent success of the town hall, eager to take advantage of an evening of fine wine and delicious food. His ears filled with the sounds of laughter and eager chatter, and he couldn't help but smile. For the first time since his arrival in Alcamoth, Dunban felt the despair in the air give way to hope and joy.
The shrill sound of metal tapping on glass rang through the air and voices silenced themselves at once. From the far end of the room, Dunban could see Melia standing on a stool, a fork and champange glass in hand. Satisfied with the silence, Melia said, "Thank you all for coming here tonight. A lot of work has gone into a short amount of time to make today's event successful. You have put in double time on both your restoration efforts as well as town hall. I know it hasn't been easy, and all of you have sacrificed precious hours of sleep to make it happen, but you have all risen to the challenge and wonderfully succeeded. The election is only five days away, and will take much more of your strength, but I know that together, we can make it happen. So please, enjoy tonight the fruits of your labor."
The room filled with applause and she stepped down, Elrich holding her arm for balance. Extricating himself from his position against the wall, the Homs man ambled over to the balcony, empty of guests. It was a temperate night, and the air was warm on his skin. The west wing faced away from Alcamoth, towards the Eryth Sea, and Dunban found himself looking out into the blackness. Reflecting on his time in Alcamoth, Dunban realized it had only been just under a month since his arrival. It seemed longer, with everything that had happened.
"I thought I might find you out here," a voice said from behind him.
He turned to see Melia join him and noticed Elrich and James stay back at a respectful distance. "Congratulations on a successful day."
"It was, wasn't it? It's such a relief. But I couldn't have done it without everyone."
"That was an eloquent speech you gave in there." He gestured to the lounge. "You have a knack for inspiring others."
"I only said what was true. They deserve this. I wanted them to know how much I appreciate their efforts, even if it appears the opposite." She leaned on the railing, facing him. "Besides, Riki owed me a favor, and I felt this would be a good use of it."
"Riki owed you a favor?"
"Many in fact. To be fair, I have never needed one until now. I usually just tease him how many favors he owes me."
"I'm intrigued. Why does he owe you these favors?"
"I supply him with moth crawlers, which he gives to his children as toys, which keeps Oka happy, and keeps Riki on her good side. Which he enjoys immensely." She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Besides, that also means Riki can visit me once every two months. I cannot lie and say I do not have a selfish interest in the exchange as well."
"It seems that you're wasting your time as monarch when you're true calling is 'criminal mastermind'."
"Were you not wondering what I did with my evenings? I'm building my underground empire."
"And what will you give me to keep your smuggling secret?"
"Oh I know the perfect gift." She smiled coyly up at him through her eyelashes. "I will personally see to it you receive a dozen blood worms each day in exchange for your silence."
Disgust overcame him and he shook his head as she dissolved into laughter. Melia had remembered his extreme distaste for that vile insect.
"You win this round." Dunban raised his glass and she raised hers as well, the giggling subsiding. He knew Melia to be clever, but he appreciated her wit as well. They clinked glasses and drank, not taking their eyes off one another.
"Dunban?"
"Yes?"
"I wanted to say thank you. I know it hasn't been easy being here in Alcamoth, being away from Fiora. And all of this...well, I'm sure it wasn't what you expected at all. But I am very grateful that you decided to stay after realizing the many challenges that lay ahead."
"Of course, Melia. I'm glad I could be helpful." He paused and joked, "It sounds like you're firing me."
"Haven't you heard? I've promoted Camar to my special advisor." She said, her eyes filled with mirth as she took another sip of champagne.
"Oh right, I forgot. You're a masochist." He grinned back impishly.
"Dunban!" she gasped in mock fury. "I'll have you know I could throw you in a dungeon for such slander." She poked his chest playfully with her index finger.
He caught the finger in his hand and her eyes went wide in surprise. "Surely her majesty would take pity on a crippled Homs."
"Not one with such a blasphemous tongue."
He noticed how close they were, their bodies only inches apart. He heard the intake of her breath in surprise, but she did not pull away. Instead, she held his gaze, her eyes observing him as he did with hers. A question hung in the air, but he didn't move to answer it. As his eyes took in her unassuming expression, they swept over her pink lips, and back to the bright blue eyes.
The sound of a cough crashed through their silence and they jolted apart, eyes darting away from each other. "Empress, it's time." Elrich said from over his shoulder, his body blocking their view of the party inside. Noting the Homs Entia's stance, Dunban surmised the guard had kept their interaction hidden from the view of potential onlookers.
"Of course. Thank you, Elrich," Melia said as she put her free hand in her pocket and looked up at Dunban. "Well...have a good night, Dunban."
"You as well, Melia."
As he returned to his quarters, thoughts of Melia swirled around in Dunban's head. At the party, their playful têt-a-têt began as a battle of wits, then progressed to something that felt close to a flirtation. Reflecting on their exchange, he knew it had been more than fun; it also felt natural. Nothing felt forced between them. In fact, her quick responses inspired his own. Quite unexpected. But what most perplexed his own emotions on the subject. Was he attracted to Melia? One thing was for sure: the more he learned about her, the more he wanted to know.
He was still wrapping his head around what had happened when he saw the pile of letters on his desk. He sighed; he needed to catch up on his correspondence with Vanea, Chief Dunga, and of course, Fiora.
His sister had been rather disappointed when he first left for Alcamoth. Not that she didn't want him to help Melia. Quite the contrary, Fiora was disappointed that her older brother advised her to stay in Colony 9 instead of join him in the city of the High Entia. When Dunban had spoken to Melia the evening of Shulk's birthday, he had sensed the turmoil she was in, hence his decision to offer aid. While Melia had accepted his offer to help, Dunban was concerned that if the rest of their friends had joined him, Melia would become overwhelmed (more than she already was). Knowing what he knew now, Dunban was sure it had been the better choice, even if it left Fiora angry with him.
As he opened his sister's letter, he saw there were only two sentences written in her curly, feminine style. Dunban's eyes widened as he read the words, feeling his heart pound.
"Come home. Colony 3 survived."
How was that possible?