Morgan
the glacier
I'm king of the land,
I'm a ruler of seas
I'm a ruler of seas
Thankfully, Edy listened to her, going to destroy Whitebrim instead of any of the populated Citadel - two birds with one stone, really, as it had become a thorn in Morgan's side. She watched the dragon depart over the walls and one by one, everyone else left too. Swiftly, Morgan became aware that she was stood alone in front of the palace. Right, then.
Marching to the front of the Council Hall with all the confidence she could muster in her shoulders and chest, she climbed onto a statue's base for some height and looked at the citizens she could see in the street before her. They looked confused, scared, upset; none of that was surprising, but she hoped to change that. The wound that had been inflicted here had been the invaders, not her. "People of the Citadel - come to me." She asked, voice gentle but loud enough to be heard in the central square.
Would the guards follow her command? After years of training them, fighting with them and knowing them, she hoped they might show some faith. To that end, she tried to find some, to meet eyes and see if they would stand with her. She could only hope she had earned their love, the same as she could only hope of her people.
Eyes up, meeting as many as she could with a respectful gaze, she spoke: "Our Citadel has always been a settlement of independent people. We vote for our leaders, we work in the mountains to produce our own resources, we build our Citadel to be strong and efficient. That is how it is always been, since before Wardens, when we had councils to decide our rules." Morgan never wanted to be a Queen, to be the sole master of the Citadel; it was a collaborative project and always would be.
"I wish today could have been a more peaceful event, but a statement must be made. These new 'leaders' were not chosen by you. They broke in and took your elected leader by force on the command of their Old Gods. They impose upon the Citadel a fellowship to the Gods that we did not agree to. They drag Halo into their war without even asking any one of you, and yet they say they care for you." Her voice brimmed with barely-kept anger, but passion continued to produce the words evenly and easily. "The Citadel I know - the one that I love and serve - welcomes anyone willing to work for their place here. Ascended, Abandoned, Accepted, Attuned, anything. If Halo is to take a place in this war, it should be on our own terms, not forced upon us by those who think they know better than you! I would have our Citadel be a place for all of us."
She very rarely spoke at quite such length, but there was one more thing to say. "Once our Citadel is safe from those that would try to force us into conflict, I will open up my position to be challenged for by anyone within Halo. Anyone that is willing to genuinely discuss and care for it's people. Anyone that has not tried to wrestle away our independence by force. I am not hungry for power. I am hungry for your justice." To emphasise this point, she slammed her hammer down on the stone.
That was all she had to say. Either they would accept her or they would not, but Morgan could say in her heart she had given her all to provide for her people.
---
Morgan goes to the front of the Council Hall, tries to see if her guards will stand with her, then addresses the people.
Marching to the front of the Council Hall with all the confidence she could muster in her shoulders and chest, she climbed onto a statue's base for some height and looked at the citizens she could see in the street before her. They looked confused, scared, upset; none of that was surprising, but she hoped to change that. The wound that had been inflicted here had been the invaders, not her. "People of the Citadel - come to me." She asked, voice gentle but loud enough to be heard in the central square.
Would the guards follow her command? After years of training them, fighting with them and knowing them, she hoped they might show some faith. To that end, she tried to find some, to meet eyes and see if they would stand with her. She could only hope she had earned their love, the same as she could only hope of her people.
Eyes up, meeting as many as she could with a respectful gaze, she spoke: "Our Citadel has always been a settlement of independent people. We vote for our leaders, we work in the mountains to produce our own resources, we build our Citadel to be strong and efficient. That is how it is always been, since before Wardens, when we had councils to decide our rules." Morgan never wanted to be a Queen, to be the sole master of the Citadel; it was a collaborative project and always would be.
"I wish today could have been a more peaceful event, but a statement must be made. These new 'leaders' were not chosen by you. They broke in and took your elected leader by force on the command of their Old Gods. They impose upon the Citadel a fellowship to the Gods that we did not agree to. They drag Halo into their war without even asking any one of you, and yet they say they care for you." Her voice brimmed with barely-kept anger, but passion continued to produce the words evenly and easily. "The Citadel I know - the one that I love and serve - welcomes anyone willing to work for their place here. Ascended, Abandoned, Accepted, Attuned, anything. If Halo is to take a place in this war, it should be on our own terms, not forced upon us by those who think they know better than you! I would have our Citadel be a place for all of us."
She very rarely spoke at quite such length, but there was one more thing to say. "Once our Citadel is safe from those that would try to force us into conflict, I will open up my position to be challenged for by anyone within Halo. Anyone that is willing to genuinely discuss and care for it's people. Anyone that has not tried to wrestle away our independence by force. I am not hungry for power. I am hungry for your justice." To emphasise this point, she slammed her hammer down on the stone.
That was all she had to say. Either they would accept her or they would not, but Morgan could say in her heart she had given her all to provide for her people.
---
Morgan goes to the front of the Council Hall, tries to see if her guards will stand with her, then addresses the people.
Treasures and crowns wouldn't mean a thing
If I only had a heart
If I only had a heart
