The Broken Council (The Guardian Chronicles 1) by Steven R. Burke Page A

our
attention.”   He nodded slightly to Kishi
to show that he was done and to give her the floor back.
    “Thank
you, chairman.   I believe the only
possible question in anyone’s mind should be why did we stray from those
laws?   Is it because my dear sister
thought of the plan and facilitated all of the necessary elements of it?   If so, then why has the law governing the
right to rule not been changed or amended to allow for bravery and foresight to
be requirements for the crown?”   She had
reached the point that she had been yearning to get to.   There should be a significant number of
council members who would now follow her.   The others should have sufficient doubt in their minds to suit her
needs.
    “Gracious
chairman, I am done with my presentation.   If you please,” she gestured to Bronwen to take over the
proceedings.   There would be questions
now, but not too many.   There would be a
significant amount of debate over this issue, and she was not going to stick
around to hear all of it.
    “You
have presented a strong case for the council to consider.   At this time, I would like to open the floor
for questions for either myself or for Princess Kishi.”   He looked around the room at the bewildered
looks on everyone’s faces.   He was caught
off guard too because of their apparent oversight.   He did not see how they could go on
justifying Kira as their rightful queen and ruler.   Kishi’s presentation of the facts was too
direct and to the point to be misunderstood.
    Silence
fell over the room.   The sounds from the
storm were growing worse still and seemed to be filling the silence in the
council chambers.   No one had the look
yet of even forming a question on their faces.   However, when Kishi looked at her sister, Kira was giving her a look of
mingled indignation and disbelief all at once.   The princess did not need the ability to read minds to know what her
younger sibling was thinking.   She knew
that she felt betrayed by her older sister and by the faces of those who
clearly agreed with Kishi.   She could not
believe that she would ask for the right to rule after doing nothing on her
part to secure it.
    Queen
Kira could take it no longer.   She was
too incensed to sit quietly on her throne and say nothing after such an
attack.   She stood up, and as she did so
her, eyes began to have blue mist coming out of her eyes.   No one had ever seen her so angry before that
she would use her magic unknowingly.   “You traitor!” she bellowed at her sister.   “What gives you the right to come here and
belittle what I have done to save these people?   Who are you to question my ability to rule?   You are no better than those that we left
behind!   They were ignorant fools who
wanted to do the minimum and still reap the rewards of hard work off of the
backs of others!”   The blue mist was now
surrounding the queen and seemed to be freezing the very air about her.
    Kishi
smiled at her sibling’s reaction to the truth.   Everything was going better than she could have wished for.   She had sufficiently provoked her sister into
attacking her verbally.   That should give
everyone sufficient doubt in her ability to rule.   She just needed to egg Kira on a little more
to reach her breaking point.   Now she
would attack the queen’s illegitimate husband who was king.   He will
be the perfect trigger to push her over the edge .
    “Dear
sister, you question my right to come here to petition this just council of
high elves?   What about your own
violation of our laws in marrying a member of a different race?   Have the laws changed for everyone in this
regard, or did we bend the rules for you and this pathetic excuse for a
spouse?   Haven’t you defiled yourself
enough by marrying him?   Why bring these
good people down with you through your inept leadership?”   She had a triumphant smile on her dark
face.   She had done it.   Let the
storm come. I am