96 Nightingale's Choice

After Roland's death, the kingdom went into a period of mourning. However, the City Hall was in a heightened state of activity. The death of the king had left a void in the governing apparatus of the nation. While the officials could continue to run the country and could do so for quite a long time, it was necessary for the nation to have leadership.

The officials investigated the documents Roland left behind in his office, hoping to find some clues on what the king had intended. They believed that the wise king Roland would definitely have made some arrangements. However, what they found only created more uncertainty.

It seemed that Roland had drawn up two plans, but he was unable to decide on which one to choose. One plan involved creating a process of democratic elections by the people to choose new leaders. The other plan was to have the kingdom be absorbed into the church to create a single megastate that would control all of humanity.

The officials were split on the issue. Some of them were uncomfortable with Graycastle giving up its independence and subordinating itself to a larger state. They wanted to be able to govern themselves. However, others saw the benefit in uniting humanity and they felt that it was indeed the best long term solution to prevent conflict in the future. In addition, they were rather wary of the concept of democracy as they didn't have confidence that the people would be able to make good decisions. There was also a small group that wanted to keep Graycastle independent and transform the current officials into a new aristocracy. The main supporters of this plan supported it for self interest.

The top echelons of the government were torn on the issue. Debates raged throughout the central government building, away from the view of the people who were still mourning and had no idea about the great political conflict going on. There were fervent supporters on each side but most of the people were still undecided or were only leaning toward one position. Each faction tried to obtain more support among the officials.

Roland's funeral was a massive event. The turnout among the citizens was massive as people came to mourn the loss of their beloved king. Steven and Zero also came to pay their respects to their fellow leader, one who they respected most highly.

After the funeral, Steven met with Nightingale. Nightingale looked weary and somber.

"I am sorry for your loss", Steven said. "Roland was a great man whose efforts allowed humanity to survive and become what it is today. His death was a tragedy and I know that you more than anyone is devastated by his death."

"What would you know?", Nightingale asked bitterly. "You will never see your love die as I had."

"No, but I know that one day I will die and leave Zero behind", Steven replied.

"And she will be here, long after we are gone", said Nightingale. "It must be quite sad to see everyone you know pass on, especially with someone so close. Zero will be here for quite a long time."

The two were silent for a moment. Then, Nightingale spoke.

"You want her to lead all of humanity in the future", Nightingale said. "I am not a skilled political theorist. Roland could not make the decision. Now, I don't know what I should do."

Steven spoke. "Many years ago, when I had just arrived in this world, I gave you my help on something which was most important to you."

Nightingale closed her eyes. "I understand", she said softly.

That was the end of their meeting.

Nightingale, in addition to being a queen of Graycastle, was also the chief of the Intelligence Bureau. During the night, the agents took action, intervening decisively in the power struggle within City Hall. The implacable opponents of the church's takeover were rounded up.

The next morning, Nightingale, the queen of Graycastle, addressed the nation. She told the people that Roland had a plan for the future of the nation and that the plan was for humanity to be united and the church to take over administration of Graycastle. Nightingale expressed her full support for the church and Graycastle to become one.

Later, Steven gave a speech that outlined the key points of the merger plan. He particularly emphasized how Graycastle would still possess a degree of autonomy and that the people would be respected. Soon, the officials fell in line, some because of their support and a few out of fear.

That night, Steven visited a cell. The cell held one of the most fervent leaders of the Graycastle independence faction. The woman inside was the elderly Edith Kant who had been arrested during the purge of the officials.

When Steven approached the cell, Edith spoke. "Have you come to gloat about your victory?"

"No", Steven replied. "I just want to talk with you. Why did you oppose my plan so much? I would have preferred to have someone as skilled as you help support us during the transition."

"I do this because I did not want to see Graycastle be destroyed!", spat Edith. "The kingdom was Roland's legacy. He spent his life building it up and now you want to steal it. We won't bow down to a different master."

Steven sighed. "I do this because it is best for humanity. We should all become one, lest there be conflict in the future."

"And what makes you think you are more qualified", Edith said. "Why should the church be the one to control everything. If you were so committed to unity, why don't you surrender the church to Graycastle. Neverwinter is where it all began, it should be the place that rules rather than being a subordinate."

"It is because I know who is best to lead us in the future", Steven said. "Zero is the best one to lead humanity."

Edith sneered. "Do you say that just because you love her? You think of her so highly and want to leave the world to her."

"She has qualities which make her exceptional", Steven replied. "Who can know what happens in the future. With Zero, she will continue to remain, an immortal leader to protect humanity."

Edith looked somewhat surprised. "Immortal?... I see… So that is how it is. I understand now. So that is your plan. Well then, good luck."

**************************************************

A large portion of the populace had been swayed by Nightingale and Steven and for the most part people were okay with the transition. However, there were still people that were opposed, some vehemently so.

A few days later, a large protest occurred in Neverwinter. The citizens were protesting the integration of Graycastle into the church. The protesters were angry and wanted Graycastle to remain independent. The protest was quite large and is more than just a minor irritant.

Steven and Zero were discussing what to do about the latest development.

"The protest is problematic", Steven said. "It could hinder our efforts."

"Should we send in the police or army to clear them out?", asked Zero.

"No." Steven was quite sure of this. "That would backfire badly. It would make a lot of people angry and turn the people against us. Even those that supported us before might hate us. Furthermore, the police or army might not want to shoot upon fellow citizens of Graycastle and if we ordered them to a mutiny could take place. And sending in our soldiers would be even worse. It would look like a foreign occupation and the optics of it would be awful."

"So what do you suggest that we do?", Zero asked.

"We organize counter protests", Steven said. "We still have a lot of support among the citizens. If needed we can even hire people to increase our numbers. Our protesters get sent to protest against the current protests. It would avoid the appearance of suppression and we wouldn't be letting the opposition spread their view unopposed. We also have control of the propaganda apparatus and we will utilize it to turn people to our side. Responding to peaceful protests with military action doesn't end well in the long run. The tighter you try to grasp control the more it will slip away."

"And what if the opposition stops being peaceful?", Zero asked.

"Then we crush them. But we need to wait for them to take the first step", Steven said.

"Well, you seem to have it all thought out", Zero remarked. "Then let's do it."

Very quickly, a new group of protesters were formed and soon the two mobs were yelling at each other. There were a few times where they got into scuffles, but when that happened the police came in to break up the fight. The protests were confined in a small area so they didn't cause too much widespread disruption.

After a week, the protests started fizzling out as everyone started getting tired of it and nothing was happening. Enthusiasm declined and the number of protesters dwindled. The current crisis was resolved, but that was by no means the only problem that the church would face.