So! This is my first story for FFXIV and only a one shot! I was struggling with writers block for my other stories and used this as an exercise to get it out of my head. I do hope you will be gentle with me. I hope you like it so please leave a comment or review with your thoughts and opinions!

Confrontation

Orrin Horn, Hyur Midlander, Second Azure Dragoon, Warrior of Light, and Champion of Eorzea glared daggers through his grey-green eyes at the back of Fourchenault Leveilleur as the pompous, self-righteous waste of breath led their group into the Sharlayan Forum. While he and the other Scions may, technically, have been trespassing when they were caught it was no excuse for him to be such an ass to his own children. Still, he supposed this was a rather good opportunity to confront the man about the matter. Officially, too.

"The Forum will come to order!" The brown-haired Elezen man sitting in the center of the table before them shouted to quiet the other members.

Before the gathered Scions was a curved table behind which sat seven people of various races all dressed in the white robes of the Forum. Similar tables ringed the room on raised levels above them with each and every seat occupied by a member of the Sharlayan governing body. Alphinaud and Alisaie's contemptable father sat two seats to the left of the speaker.

"As speaker elect," the man continued, "I will be presiding over the day's proceedings. Master Fourchenault, would you be so kind as to restate the matter which compelled you to summon your colleagues with such urgency?" He could practically hear the pompous sense of self-importance in the man's tone as the Elezen stood to address the Forum.

"As you are all aware, we recently denied Eorzea's request for Sharlayan assistance." Fourchenault sneered, standing to address the Forum. "Since then, certain individuals dissatisfied with our decision have taken it upon themselves to interfere with our work. They entered our nation masquerading as associates of the Students of Baldesion, but these malcontents are better known as the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. These militants wield influence with both the Eorzean and Eastern alliances and are inextricably involved with the crises presently afflicting the world at large."

"Militants?" Orrin scoffed in his mind. "That's a bit of a reach, isn't it?"

"Loose in our city," the pompus prat continued, "these warmongers sought to meddle with and expose matters of state secret. What are they if not a dire threat to be expelled?" The muttering that followed this pronouncement was nearly deafening. Looking at his fellow Scions, he could see the twins both staring at the floor while Krile, G'raha, and Y'shtola gazed around the room. Normally, Orrin would allow them to speak in a situation like this if for no other reason than they were Sharlayan themselves. Not this time though.

"I find it interesting that this body is seemingly aware of this man's behavior." Orrin's powerful voice, so often unused, boomed across the scattered muttering and enforced silence from the gathered Forum. "And am therefore forced to question it's integrity."

"Excuse me?!" Fourchenault exclaimed while Orrin's own companions looked at him in shock. "You were brought here to be held accountable for your insurgent behavior in our nation and you have the audacity to accuse me of impropriety?!"

"Tell me, Speaker." Orrin continued, totally ignoring the raging buffoon, "am I correct in thinking that it is forbidden for a member of this body to speak for the whole without leave to do so?"

"Yes…" the speaker agreed, warily.

"Excellent." He nodded. "Then you must, of course, be aware that this man flatly denied a request for an ambassadorial visit by both the Eorzean and Eastern Alliances without so much as consulting this Forum?"

Stunned silence filled the room for several seconds before the muttering started up again. Turning, Orrin could see the confused expressions on his companions' faces. They, of course, were unaware of such a request being made, primarily because he simply hadn't told them.

"No." The speaker replied, glancing sidelong at Fourchenault. "This body was unaware that any official request had been made."

"I told you, you warmongering buffoon, that the decision of this Forum will not be changed!" Fourchenault spit out.

"Yes, yes." Orrin waved a hand dismissively. "You made the position of the Forum perfectly clear but that does not give you the right as ambassador to deny any official request without first consulting your government. Besides, our response to the decision of the Forum was only one part of our request. You denied us before we were allowed to finish even asking about it!"

"If I may, then." The speaker cut off Fourchenault's response. "What was the Alliance's request to be?"

Orrin nodded to the speaker in respect. "Simply that an ambassador of the Alliance be allowed to address the Forum to both deliver a message and make a request of this body. As I was to be the chosen ambassador and your own decided to deny our request without prior approval, might I beg leave to deliver the message of my government before we continue? It may have bearing on your decision here."

"Let us put it to a vote." The speaker replied before looking up and raising his hand. "All those in favor of hearing the message of the Eorzean Alliance before we proceed?"

"Orrin?" Alphinaud whispered while the Forum tallied the vote. "What request are you talking about? I don't remember that happening."

"It was shortly before your father left Gridania whilst the two of you were…. reacting." Orrin replied, also whispering but loud enough for the other Scions to hear. "The Elder Seedseer contacted the members of the Alliance over link pearl about Sharlyan's response and they agreed that I should act as an ambassador back to the Forum."

"But for what purpose?" Y'shtola questioned. "They're not like to change their minds just because the Alliance asks them to."

"No." Orrin shook his head, "but the members of the Alliance felt that the Forum needed a reminder that manners still have their place even during the apocalypse."

"Manners?" Alisaie almost coughed out. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Watch." Orrin winked before turning back.

"I count 71 for and 28 against." The speaker, whose name Orrin still didn't know, said, revealing the verdict. "You have leave to address this Forum on behalf of the Eorzean Alliance… Ambassador."

"I thank you." Orrin bowed his head. "Members of the Sharlyan Forum, I am here to deliver a two part message from the membership of both the Eorzean and Eastern Alliances. The first part is thus." Orrin stood straight, hands behind his back and head held high in a classic military pose. "We, the members of the Eorzean and Eastern Alliances do formally recognize the decision of the Sharlyan Forum regarding their assistance in preventing the calamity commonly being referred to as the 'Final Days.' Though we do not understand and deeply regret your ultimate decision, the members of the Alliance do thank you for your just consideration and timely response to our request and deeply hope that, should we all survive or prevent the coming calamity, you might be open to resuming diplomatic ties once the danger has passed. Thus runs the first part of my message."

More muttering filled the air at that but from what he could make out, the members of the Forum were mostly… surprised at the response by the Alliance. To be fair, that wasn't the original form of the message, but Orrin couldn't exactly tell them that Raubahn, Hien, Merlwyb, and Lyse had all been adamant that he call them out on their cowardice rather than simply acknowledging their decision. Thankfully, Nanamo, Aymeric, and Kan-E-Senna's cooler heads prevailed when coming up with the wording of the message.

"As representative of the Forum," the speaker stood, bowing his head, "I formally thank you for delivering the acknowledgement of the Alliance regarding our decision. Pray, continue with the second part of your message. You mentioned a request?"

"I did." He bowed his head in turn. "The members of the Eorzean Alliance and the Elder Seedseer of Gridania specifically request… nay, DEMAND an apology from this body for the deplorable behavior of its ambassador, one Fourchenault Leveilleur!" He accented his shouted pronunciation with a forceful gesture directly at the stunned face of the ass in question.

"Excuse me?!" Fourchenault exploded, leaping from his seat while the rest of the chamber exploded into gasps and whispers. Orrin took great pleasure in the shocked exclamations coming from the twins, specifically.

"Silence!" The Speaker shouted, trying to calm the chamber. It took him a moment, but he was eventually able to resume control. "Perhaps you could explain further, Ambassador?"

"Certainly." Orrin replied, maintaining perfect control of himself. "This man," he pointed at Fourchenault, "whilst acting as a representative of this body behaved most deplorably during an official function. I am sure you're all aware that he recently disowned his children, but what I highly doubt he revealed to you is that he did so in an extremely public fashion whilst acting in his official capacity as Ambassador!"

Orrin started to pace back and forth gesturing both to the twins and their worthless father as he mentioned them in turn. "Firstly, I must stress that while the Sharlyan nation does not officially recognize the duty of the Scions, the members of the Eorzean Alliance do. Both Alphinaud and Alisaie, acting in their official capacity as Scions of the Seventh Dawn were present when your ambassador arrived to deliver the decision of this Forum. They objected to that decision, as did all present, but it seems that your ambassador could not restrain himself!"

"He used the pretense of their objection to air personal, family grievances whilst acting as your official representative and in an official, ambassadorial capacity!" Orrin stopped, practically shouting that last part directly at Fourchenault whose eyes were wide with shock. "My government wishes to stress that they do not object to this man making decisions for his own family. Whilst they may find his actions privately reprehensible, the official stance of the Eorzean Alliance is that his disowning of his children is ultimately of no consequence. What IS of consequence is the manner and situation in which he chose to do so! Had he waited until the meeting was over to speak of such things in private, then my government would have no reason to object."

"As it stands, however, my government is insulted and appalled that you would allow this man to air personal, family grievances whilst acting as your official representative and demands an apology for his behavior. Furthermore, until such is delivered, he and all other members of this Forum are forbidden from setting foot on Eorzean or Eastern soil on pain of imprisonment and deportation. Thus ends the demands of the Eorzean Alliance. My task as Ambassador is done and I now withdraw from my status as such."

Orrin bowed his head for a moment whilst silence filled the chamber. The twins were both staring at him with gaping mouths whilst he could swear Y'shtola and Krile were both stifling laughs. G'raha simply grinned widely at him which Orrin returned with a smirk. As for the Forum, most of them were still in a state of shock whilst Fourchenault himself was oddly sporting a very similar expression to his own children. Eyes wide and mouth gaping in stunned surprise.

"Speaking as myself now," Orrin continued, taking advantage of the shocked silence, "I find it very interesting that this man, acting once again in an official capacity, has chosen to drag our group, consisting almost entirely of Sharlyan citizens before this body citing wild accusations. A group that just so happens to contain the very children he so recently berated in front of the leaders of foreign powers while acting as your ambassador and now seeks to exile if I heard him rightly. If one were prone to speculation, they might think that he was, in fact, using the pretense of our 'misdeeds' to once again abuse his power and status to publicly air a private, family disagreement and trick this body into exiling the rather extraordinary children he clearly does not want."

Fourchenault let out a strangled but unintelligible exclamation whilst Alisaie and Alphinaud both gasped out laughs of astonishment.

"Ahem." The speaker coughed, looking sheepish and embarrassed whilst other members of the Forum glared daggers at Fourchenault. "The request of the Eorzean and Eastern Alliances has been heard by this Forum and will be taken under consideration. You will be called before this body later to hear our response. For now, though, perhaps we should return to the matter which you were brought here for?"

"Certainly." Orrin nodded at him before turning to Fourchenault. "I do apologize, Master Fourchenault but I seem to have forgotten what exactly it was you accused us of. Pray, remind me what lies you were publicly spouting about we Scions and your recently disowned children whilst you abused your power as a member of the Forum?" This time, Y'shtola's snort of laughter was quite audible in the once again shocked silence of the Forum.

There we go! A little context. I'm a relatively new player to FFXIV and only just finished Endwalker. Let me be clear here, I HATE Fourchenault. I was trying desperately to find a justification for him disowning the twins rather than just scolding them and couldn't find one. He does it for seemingly no reason! Plus, when it is later revealed that he does in fact love his kids and wanted to save them, it made him disowning them make even less sense!

So, I wondered. What would be a good way of getting back at him and it hit me! He was being SUPER unprofessional during the meeting in Gridania and if this was the real world, he'd have been SEVERELY punished for such behavior. So, I had an OC WOL bring it up in front of the Forum. If nothing else, I hope you enjoyed seeing him be called out on his crappy behavior.