[Venora] The Heir, Disrobed

[Alistair]

13th of Saun, Arc 716

OOC: Warnin', this thread is gonna be like 90% dialogue.

Today was a rainy day in the capital and much of the land beyond, but in Venora, the sun was shining and the fields were ripe. In Sabaissant, a very unique occasion had manifested and presented itself to the crowds of the auditorium hall. Alistair and a woman known as Melanie Siljovic were exchanging with one another; a public interview for Venorans to listen to, one that would be published in the Gazette when time permitted. It was called "The Heir, Disrobed," she had told him, and he approved of the title. He liked it - it drew the eye, especially since there were many young men and women in Rynmere who would have liked to see him disrobed.

"Today, we at the Gazette have a very special guest! Lord Alistair of House Venora, the heir of his family name, has agreed to allow an interview to be published publically. Nothing in this interview has been practiced or scripted; this is us speaking to him for the very first time, for all of you in the crowd, and for those who read the fully published interview." The woman smiled, seated before the Lord who waved to the crowd. He had a slightly more enthusiastic expression on than usual, if only because he did not wish to appear rigid and stoic. However, this was a difficult setting for him, and he'd never made such a distinctive public appearance before. He had made speeches and talked to crowds, but his words were never tested by a rigorous mind. If Melanie was worth her salt, this could be a wondrous opportunity, or a terrible one.

He allowed himself to become comfortable, and faced the Gazette affiliate.

Her lips parted; the first question began. "So, Lord Alistair. Let's begin this on an interesting note. In a very recent article, you were said to have been fraternizing with a common man that you allegedly have been following and obeying in very public settings. Are you aware of these rumors, and if so, how do you respond to them?"

His lips quirked. Come on, Ali, get your deflection on, he thought to himself. This rumor was one that was dangerous, and so he needed to dispel it. If anything, this was a question he had very definitely prepared for before this meeting. It had been the talk of the town for some time.

"That man is Damien Noch, and he is my mentor and instructor on philosophy, medical sciences and writing. As you all may be aware, I am a doctor. Quite a skilled one at that - I recently opened my surgery and general health center, Sabaissmais," he paused. A cheer from the crowd came about; many were pleased to see a proper doctoring center come about, and Alistair was a very renowned doctor in Venora. Additionally, there was nothing like your life being saved by your Lord, some would say.

"To answer your question, I am not in a relationship with Damien Noch. I do not obey him. I respect him. We in Venora believe that while there is a political divide between nobles and commoners, it is not an oddity for us to be friends. As such, while I have heard these rumors inspiring awe in certain places, here at home it is no big deal. One of your editors - my brother - spends a great deal of time with the commoners of Andaris. Should I look down on them, and him for doing so? The nature of this very clear public awe has been quite shocking to say the least." This response inspired additional cheers; the reporter smiled brightly at him, as she herself was of common lineage. It was a popular answer, especially in the Duchy of Love.

[Alistair]

"Alright," she nodded her head. "Moving on, and this relates directly to perhaps what you just said. Venora is rumored to be descending into a free-thinking, perhaps radical mentality that many describe as virulent and dangerous. Firstly, there are those within the Duchy that oppose the idea of slavery, which is considered integral to the success of Rynmere's economy. In Sabaissant the population of slaves is quite high, many say due to the need for servants without free will, thus preventing the city from being overtaken by the lower or middle class. Acknowledging the importance of slaves to Rynmere's economy, what would you say to those in Venora who feel this way about slavery in Rynmere?"

He visibly tensed. That question was much more difficult than he imagined, and it was not one he was prepared for. The emancipation of slaves was far away from Rynmere - perhaps it would become negotiable in a hundred years, or during a time of greater unrest. A servile war in Rynmere or a law to free them just did not seem like it would come any time soon. This question was one of exceptional difficulty, but it would be considered weak to the crowd and the paper if he merely deflected or refused to answer the question. The man sighed, displaying that it was a challenging topic.

"I would say that we should revise the way in which we treat slavery, but not to the extent of freeing all of them." This was the 'middle-ground', the compromise. He couldn't be despised too much by either party for wishing to take the middle approach, and could please those who felt similarly as he did, the moderates. Venora was very politically moderate, or at least, a mixed bag compared to the other Duchies. The people tended to have more vibrant and controversial opinions, partly due to their artistic nature and partly due to their emphasis on socialization and morality.

The man wished to play on that. He wasn't experienced enough in politics to know how, but he would do his best. He had to remember - pleasing Venorans was much more important than pleasing people in say, Krome. He was to rule here, not elsewhere. He had to gain his base here. "Slaves are treated too harshly in this world. I personally owned a slave named Alaric Qau'Toraj, a biqaj man given to me by my father. He was a loyal, patient, loving and kind individual. He died fighting for me when a bunch of drunken fools attacked me on the streets as an insult to my Noble House. From this I learned that slaves can be as honorable and dignified as any individual in this world. And he is not my only evidence." The man continued, recalling of course the slave of Tristan he'd met in the capital just a few days prior.

Faith. A loyal slave who accepted her role and acted admirably for the benefit of her master, who in turn treated her well. She did not bear the abuse others did - she was fortunate. She had been given a good and proper master. "Tristan owns a slave who he treats well," the nobleman said. "Her name is Faith. She is as proud as any Venora, and operates in her role as dutifully as we do. Slaves like her can be happy because they have been given to fortunate, wise masters. However, there are slaves who are abused and discarded, who die for the whims of their rulers. This is not the way in which we operate in Rynmere. We have always promoted the wealth of the individual, and a slave is an individual as much as they are a possession. I believe slaves should be able to seek help if they've been abused and mistreated. I believe the death of a slave should be investigated. People speak constantly of how slaves are so valuable and essential to our society and its economy, and yet they proceed to say they have no individual value. Which is it?" he asked.

And to that, members of the crowd roared and cheered. Young folk primarily, but also outspoken members of the community who had been conferring and discussing this matter from Sabaissant and Lamonte. He smiled faintly as the crowd clapped and cheered, and the reporter nodded her head. She very clearly held respect for the answer, and whispered that she was impressed with his improvised speech. He laughed, and the crowd stopped their cheering. They would move on.

[Alistair]

"Alistair, you have long been called the 'Wilted Rose' in Venora. While the public I can tell is very cordial to your family, such a label has been called out as offensive and inappropriate for a Lord by many nobles and businessfolk in Rynmere. How do you feel about this epithet?" Her eyes trained on him and the man leaned back into his chair and sighed. Wilted bloody Rose. He didn't really let it bother him, honestly, though he supposed at some point it had inspired some degree of... insecurity one could call it. It had made him begin to question his apparent amorality, his sociopathy, his lack of empathy. If it was clear to others, it needed to become apparent to himself.

But could one question their own sociopathy? Were sociopaths not too righteous to even imagine a crack in their morals? It had sparked philosophical debate within him for quite some time, and further as time went. The title was not what bothered him, nor the implications. It was the questions that rose at its placement, which he could only call fair as it was difficult to judge yourself as impartially as others could.

"It doesn't really bother me. I understand that I present myself as... pragmatic and cold. That is simply my personality. If others wish to chastise me for deviating from the typical Venoran perspective, that is an authority they possess. I will not stop them from their criticism." He implied with a look to the woman that he'd like to move on. He did not wish for the conversation of his personality to consume this interview, as many others had tried to dissect him without his permission or desire before. She took the hint and moved on.

Her eyes wandered to the last question she had for him, as the crowd of people stared quietly and talked among themselves. The nobleman merely waited with his hands clasped together at his lap. "Okay," she began. "there's but one more. My last question for you is this: what is your official stance on the civil war?"

. . .

He expected this one. The man would merely parrot his grandmother on this one. "House Venora has no official stance... yet," he said. The woman shook her head. "But what of your stance?" she asked again, clear that she wouldn't allow him to avoid the question. His eyes narrowed and he shrugged. "Clearly the stance of House Venora. If House Venora were led under a different name, however, under Alistair rather than Ebony... it's very likely that things would have gone differently. For better or worse, I cannot know. That will be all."

- - -

An hour later, he found himself in the Keep. Did I do well? he wondered. He'd begun to write little notes to himself - inquiring on paper the words he'd espoused and criticizing his statements after-the-fact. He knew it was time to begin acting as a proper Lord. This was the first and easiest of many future challenges.

[Kingdom]

Alistair

Knowledge:
Rynmere Gazette: Twist the truth
Rynmere Gazette: Like to do pieces on nobles
Politics: Don’t give away too much
Politics: White lies are commonplace
Politics: Conquer your own backyard first
Rhetoric: Pause and think before answering
House Venora: No official stance in 716 Saun civil-war

Loot: n/a
Injuries: n/a
Fame: +2 clearing up false rumours about yourself.

Story: 5/5
Collaboration: 0/5
Structure: 4/5

Comment: Interesting.

When someone new speaks always start on a new line.