Political Ties (Karo, Pre-Veil & GF'd)

[Chrysannia Syl'lithar]

Season of Autumn Era II
Era XIV Post Fractum
Month of Imperos
Brightening 32

The room was dimly lit, the soft smell of beeswax candles wafted through the air as the candles themselves gave of trails of white smoke. In one cornor of the room a silver censer filled with embers that gave off a lilac aroma, the tranquil aroma slowly fighting off the candle.

The high windows of the room, situated along the eastern wall, were covered in deep red and gold threaded velvet curtains. They were to block any unwanted light from reaching its way inside the room, even though the suns were just peeking over the eastern horizon.

The room itself was fairly large, it was used as a study by those that lived within the giant keep. Plush carpets lay over the marble floor, the walls held tapestries and countless banners while bookcases filled with books dueled for space. A few sofas and chairs were arranged in small pods with tables and other accesories arrayed around them.

Within one of these comfy pods sat a lone figure, her soft brown and blonde mingled hair catching the light of the soft candles. Her delicate frame was drapped in a gossamer nightgown of light red, almost pink, that was covered in a hooded cloak of deep red and gold. In her small, supple hands she held a book that she read absent mindedly, the words barely registering as she turned the pages.

Beside the down filled chair she sat on was a table made of cheerywood and ivory, a single candle dripping wax onto a piece of paper below. What was written on the paper, a copy of The Herald, was why she sat alone within the study so early. She had been there for most of the night, sneaking out of her room and making her way to study.

The study being within the halls of the Celerrond Estate, which she had spent countless days and nights in so far. She and her fiance did not share room, it would be disgraceful to do such a thing, instead she slept in a completely separate wing of the house from her beloved Jaraelium.

Her passing through the hallways had caused a few of those on night duty to stand up straight, a few asking if she were in need of anything, her reply silence as she glided away. Stopping only once to leave note with one of the house keepers to give word to the young Karo that she needed to speak with him when he awoke and that she would be within the study room she frequented most.

OOC: If you know Chrys and have any inclination to a bit of Imperial level politiking feel free to join this thread. Assume that Chrys sent you a missive to meet at the Celerrond Estate. This of course really only goes for Cala, Nim and that's it? Aha.

[Karo Sa'Nepenthes]

Chrysannia was left on her own for only a few minutes. When the servant had come to find him, the youngest Celerrond had been awake and dressing. Accustomed to the hours of a soldier, Karo often had difficulty sleeping in. So it was that when Karo entered the study and found Chrysannia in a nightgown, he greeted her with a small, sardonic grin, looking pointedly at her clothing and then at his own.

Saying nothing but raising an eyebrow to his brother's fiancee, Karo took a seat in one of the chairs and rested his feet comfortably on a convenient ottoman. "I am told," he said in the peculiar, quiet voice that men use before dawn, "that you would like to speak with me about something?"

[Chrysannia Syl'lithar]

Her amber eyes caught the young man as he entered the room, they watched him as he made his way towards her. They even caught the slight raise of his eyebrow as he regarded the way she was dressed. It didn't matter either way, she was not in the mood for modesty, she was in far too foul a mood.

"Yes, I am glad that you came to speedily, I barely left the message a half candlemark ago." Chrys turning to place the book on the side table as she picked up the The Herald and held it up.

"I assume you have read this issue of the imperial paper." Holding up the relevant article. "It says that this, Milo, is in search of individuals that would be able to fill certain positions." Holding the paper out for him to take before she settled back in the chair.

"It has come to my attention that not long ago the governor of our province fled from the province. I do not know where he has gone, nor do I care, all I know is that he is gone. It is more then likely he will not return any time soon, he seemed far too old to live through much more travel." Her love of the human governor was quite apparent in her words and facial expression.

"This means Dear Karo that the position of governor will once again be open. I assume that the Consul position is that of the Western Consul, as to the ambassadoral position I am unsure." She watched him closely as she spoke. "You were once governor of our province, we were in power then, now with a human governor and his orc justicar we have lost a great deal of power" Paushing she took in a small breath to allow the young elf to think on her words.

"Karo, I am not one to beat around the bush, as they say, I am direct and to the point. I am a woman that prefers to keep power, I despise losing it to any other then those I am not linked to. You were once governor, your people applauded you for it, you are hailed as a hero for it. Your people once again are in need of their Hero, but you will not do this alone if you agree. I will walk beside you with this, as will of course those of Luviel and Celerrond." A fire burned within her amber eyes, melting the ice and bringing about a flood.

[Karo Sa'Nepenthes]

"What."

It was not a question. Nor was Chrysannia not the only one who was accustomed to speaking bluntly. Karo's eyebrows had shot up again at her... proposal; the alteration of his expression was unusual, and would have been a startled gasp coming from someone else. Karo was surprised, yes, and almost angered at the suggestion he seemed to be hearing.

"You want me to apply for Governor once more?" he said, not bothering to hide his incredulity. "After what happened last time? I am a hero to the elves, Chrysannia, because meteors flattened half of Imperia and the Legions were needed to keep order, so I took the Legion closest to hand -- the one here in Syl'rosya. If it were not for that random event, we would still be under the eyes of the Legion and I would merely be an average Governor trying to clean up the crime and corruption rampant in Imperia. I am no hero; I failed miserably in my given duties, and I was practically run out of town by those I was sworn to protect and serve. I owe my family to a fluke."

"I don't think I'm interested in visiting that humiliation upon myself again, much less tainting the rest of this House with my dishonor. Especially when I feel there is little good I can do. I will not attempt to grasp power simply to have power; that has never been my way."

"No, I think you may have to find someone else, unless you truly think that some good might come of such a thing. I will not submit myself to a farce merely for my own benefit."

Karo knew his words would probably incense his future sister-in-law, but he had never been one to keep his mouth shut when he had something to say, and he was not about to start now. Especially not when he felt so strongly that Chrysannia's plan was foolish.

[Chrysannia Syl'lithar]

She was silent. A strange flare in her features. An ominous shadow settled over her features as Karo spoke. It was far too early to have her wishes disputed or her wants denied. It was even worse that she was going to have to argue the point with the whelp of a child, one that should be listening to her without complaint.

Chrys needed him all the same, he was a major cog in the overall clock that she was intending to build. If she had to play the game with him then it was what she needed to do. Convincing him should not be too much trouble, she was able to make any believe her words if she wished it. The fool of an Imperial Judicator fell prey to her wits not so long ago, this child would be no different.

"This is a chance to do something good for your people. With the position you would be able to cement yourself as an integral part of Elvish Society. Not to mention bring your people forward in political standing. It would help to have the Imperials avert their gazes elsewhere. You know the noose they keep around our necks, it may be loose at times, but it is always there. This would enable use to loosen it even more, you would be the enabler for this." Her voice was soft, soothing to the ears, yet the dark look on her face was still noticeable.

"The last you held a political position you were alone, of course you had the Lady Gil'dae as your second, but she was ill equipped to aid you. You are both young in the game of politics and running a province is many times greater then those that beset Syl'rosya." She moved forwards in the soft chair. "This would be as chance to redeem yourself, to right the wrongs that you think you made during your previous attempt. You would not do so alone, you now have the backing of not only the Celerrond family but those that your brother is close with." It was not strange to Chrysannia to act the way she was acting. She had played this game many times before, when all she wanted to do was force her will upons those that disagreed with the point of a dagger. They had precious little time to go back and forth on the matter, for all she knew there were countless others clamering for the positions that she needed to be within her circle of power.

[Karo Sa'Nepenthes]

Karo frowned thoughtfully. There was something to what Chrysannia was saying, but something still didn't quite ring true. It was odd to hear his future sister-in-law, whom all knew to be powerhungry and ambitious, talking about the good he might do if he placed himself once more in a position of power.

At the mention of Calairiel, Karo's defensiveness of himself and his fierce protectiveness of his friends reared up. "Inexperienced we may have been," he said, "but we did the absolute best that anyone could be expected to do. I had a choice between starting a riot that would have killed thousands and let to the Legion being tainted in a bloodbath, or letting an unruly upstart get away with treason, and I chose the latter option because in my view carrying out justice as it should have been done would, in that case, have been a greater sin."

"But I guess that isn't the point you're making. I suppose it is conceivable that I could do some good, although I cannot imagine how it would be possible. Dzrg is a high official in the province now, and he has a baseless but intractable opinion that I am incompetant, greedy and powermad. If I am to contest with that I am going to need more of a reason than simply the outside chance that things might be easier the second time around."

[Chrysannia Syl'lithar]

Hmmm. The young man was far too easy to read for the elder elf. His emotions were as open as a window to the summers day. This was far easier then she thought it was going to be. Until now she had been saying things that would allow her to gauge the way Karo acted and thought. She had enough now to let the real games begin, she relished the kill during situations like these.

"Of course. You did what you thought best, you handled yourself in an honorable way. A reason Jarae embraced you as a brother. Karo, you are a great man, you have already proven that more then a few times. The situation with Imperia was something you could not control, who knew that the heavens would fall on the city? The people were aggravated beyond reason and there were those among them that wished for your downfall, simply because you are an elf." If the sense of pride that the Syl'rosyan people felt towards themselves was already instilled within Karo her words would make a great impact. Though if he was still of a singular mind then it was only a minor setback and she would be quick to find another route to get inside his head.

"Ah yes, the Orc. Another reason why you should be the one to lead this province. This, Palacrisis was senile enough to seemingly forget what destruction the babarians brought down on the people of the Empire." The position of the Orc was a like a tumor in her mind, one that needed to be cut before it spread. "You and I both know that he is corrupt and his opinion means little. Sure he may go before the Regeant and speak his peace about how you were powerhungry and a madman, but would the human ruler believe this? I highly doubt as much, you did nothing wrong, you did the best you could with what you were given, which was little." Of course he did the best he could, the province was in a state of uproar at the time. The cities themselves were messes, Syl'rosya itself was in a particular moment of upheavel, and it would have made it all that much harder.

"This could be the time to reassert yourself into the political arean. Show those that doubted you that you are worth more then they ever thought. You are strong of mind and body, you have grown since the time you were last governor, Karo you are what this province needs. There are few that have your experience with the Imperial Government and that is a great asset to you and to your family." These words were all true, there was only one other that had done as much with the imperials as Karo had, he was dead now so it didn't matter.

[Karo Sa'Nepenthes]

Karo sat still for a few moments, resting his chin on his folded hands in front of him. Aware that Chrysannia was likely far more patient than he, being used to the more deliberate pace of elven life, the youngest Celerrond merely stared out of the study's window while he pondered her words.

After a minute or two, he looked back at his brother's fiancee. His piercing green eyes still showed a spark of sharpness -- he was not so easily manipulated as that. However, it was clear that Chrysannia's arguments were persuading Karo all the same.

"I dislike the orc, it's true," Karo said. "But he was doing his best as well, I think. It's true that he is corrupt and should not be in a position of power, but he truly did help out in Imperia. Out of self-interest, I am sure -- for what point in being a criminal if you've no one to victimize? But he helped, all the same. I will admit that the thought of him as Governor makes me shudder, though."

"Perhaps you are right. It is possible that, given a more stable structure and a fairer chance, I could do some good for Arakmat. It is even possible that I might make a decent Consul, I suppose. But still, I am reluctant. What if the fault was not in the people or the circumstances? What if I am able only to humilliate myself once more? I would not visit that upon the family, and I would certainly rather avoid it myself."