A Dangerous Destiny: The Pure One Book I

Chapter Forty-Five ( Assembly Part 1)

Sorry for the wait. I have been doing a lot of tinkering with this chapter to make it more impactful. Would love to hear thoughts since it has changed A LOT from the original version( and still it saddled with a bit of extra exposition at the beginning)  If the chapter has redundancies or things that don't work, let me know. It really is a rough draft of the scene;-)

Anyhoo... Recall that Fiona had told Manna she was planning to present her opinion of the Vox Populi to the Council at the next major assembly that was coming up? (this was right before Manna figured out about Alex). Well here is the meeting....

*Note that I have labeled this chapter "Forty-Five (Assembly Part 1)" This is a separate chapter from the next, but they are meant to be read in tandem thus the labeling. Hope you enjoy. 

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Fiona

Not since the announcement of her pregnancy nearly fifteen years ago had Fiona felt the level of unease approaching the General Assembly as she did now. Of course the danger was not as obviously clear, yet to her mind, the stakes were just as high. If she could not gain support for her cause at the meeting today, it would be six months before she had another chance to speak with the Senmin leaders en masse to enlist their united aid in join the Vox Populi's cause. Fiona worried she didn't have that time.

The rebellion was gaining strength, but the more successful they grew, the harder it would be to hide their efforts in the shadows and Alex had been pressing  to take more decisive action against the crown. Fiona did not wish to be linked to the rebellion in true warfare unless her own people were willing to sanction it. They had to at least be made aware of the danger and understand the risks  if they were to protect themselves properly. 

She wondered too how long Alex's understanding would hold if she remained unable to offer him the aid of her people. Her tactical help and bits of information from within the royal city were useful, but she knew he wanted more. He needed more if they were to succeed. The use of Senmin merchant community in particular would be invaluable to aid to the rebel cause and Fiona was eager to enlist them in their fight, but she'd learned her lesson well before. She had determined not to encourage any among her people to aide the rebellion unless the leaders of each community were engaged as well. 

With a united effort the Senmin leadership could provide protection, alerting any who gave aid to potential dangers, but alone, those who pledged support to the Vox Populi would remain as vulnerable as those who had done so before. That could not be allowed. This time, Fiona would ensure that her people looked out for themselves not relying on the rebels alone for help. The Council needed to be in united support of a decision to join the rebels to create that network of protection and this was the first step. A chance to present her case with the knowledge others might stand in her defense.

Still, with the unfortunate discovery Manna had made in uncovering her connection with Harrison, Fiona feared that voicing her opinions on the rebellion at the Assembly would be more complicated that she had hoped.

She had not contacted or seen Manna in since their fight over a month before. Both still angry and guilty, Fiona was not relishing the chance to face her now, particularly in the presence of the full Assembly.  She relied on Manna as her greatest ally, and without her support, Fiona could not help but worry that her plan to sway the Council's collective mind against the monarchy could fall short of success. Moreover, there was the chance that Manna would use the meeting to directly oppose her. The thought was unsettling. 

Fiona knew how angry her teacher had been. While she was certain that Manna would never go as far as to reveal her involvement with Harrison outright as she had threatened to do, she would not put it past the woman to use her influence to stop Fiona from getting what she wanted out of the meeting. She found herself wishing that she had attempted to make amends with her teacher before the Assembly, but there was nothing to be done for it now. She would simply have to hope that Manna would not be so petty as to undermine her without first judging the rational arguments she intended to put forth to defend her position.