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 Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:12 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:34 pm
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She didn't quite collapse, because that would be undignified, but the Shaman did settle heavily next to Unyezi. Exhausted was the right word, though it was much more mental than physical fatigue. Every waking moment since the news had broken, Lailah had been thinking about who the next monarch would be.
"Unyezi, please, tell me what you're thinking," she said. "There are so many lions who could rule. Some of them are eager for the chance, and others are refusing entirely. I'm going in circles, trying to figure this out." The old lion was one of the wisest in the pride, and had a unique perspective, having once been a King himself. She knew that Unyezi wouldn't push her towards a particular lion, but she did value his insights.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:45 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:50 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 4:57 pm
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Unyezi chuckled when Lailah began her list with Sameah and Neema, most amused imagining the shaman's twin sister taking the throne- and doubting her sincerity- but not terribly surprised to know one of his grandsons had volunteered. His smile remained despite the mention of Xiyang and the difficulty of figuring out who was the best candidate overall.
"It sounds like you're trying too hard," he said gently, "You are a member of the High Class, you should know most of the lions in it. If Sameah Yareach, Neema and Xiyang don't strike you as the right choice, don't consider them. Don't ask yourself why not, just move on."
It was easy to say, but it didn't lead anywhere particularly productive.
"What do you think is most important for our next monarch?" he asked, "Do you think they should have been born here, or could it be anybody? Would you prefer the stability of a Queen or to keep your options open by allowing for a potential King? Or perhaps both? A mated pair would more easily secure the throne, but do you think that is necessary?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:04 pm
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"I..." Lailah trailed off, unsure what she was about to reply to Unyezi. He was right, abotut how she should go about this. The lioness breathed deeply and considered his question.
"I think the new ruler should care about every member of the pride as a person. Someone who is Mwezi'Johari by birth and understands what we've been through because they've lived through it too. A Queen is more stable, because, no offense, she can't resign simply because she fell in love with a lower-ranked male," the lioness answered with a wry grin at Unyezi. She wasn't blaming him or even meaning to insult him, but her history lessons did show that he'd been somewhat hasty about stepping down.
If a Monarch chose to resign their position, well, that was their right. But she didn't want to pick someone who would be seriously considering resignation early on.
"I guess a mated pair is another possibility that I hadn't considered," she allowed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:11 pm
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Unyezi watched Lailah as she spoke and listened carefully, letting her speak without interruption. He dared to wink at her when she commented on a queen being a more reliable choice, it was an easy wordless response to the remark. He had done what he thought was necessary at the time, he had produced an heir and thought it safe to step down.. it did him no good to wonder about that decision.
"I believe you and Caritas are the only high class married ladies born into the pride," he said after a thoughtful pause, "Making Caritas Queen would mean we'd lose a Midwife, and it would keep the old line on the throne, just from a different branch. Does that sound agreeable?"
Caritas didn't strike him as someone who would want to step out of her current role for that, but like Lailah, he knew that wasn't necessarily something to hold against her for how good a job she might do. For now, she served nicely as a way to determine more qualifications- or disqualifications.
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Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 5:16 pm
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Lailah blinked as she considered that. She hadn't really thought of Caritas due to the other lioness' position as a Midwife. Which, face it, there were other Midwives, and more could be trained. Hell, even Lailah herself had multiple Apprentices for several reasons.
Hell. Lailah herself was eligible.
The lioness pushed that thought away. She was perfectly happy as the pride's Shaman, thank you very much. And while some could say it would be good symmetry if Yavin was named King, the idea of concentrating that much power in a mated pair made her go cold inside. Yes, she was reasonably sure that neither she nor her mate would abuse that power...but.
But.
Nothing was certain, and she didn't want to open the door to that temptation.
"I hadn't really thought about Caritas," she admitted aloud. "But she's certainly not a bad choice." Better than Neema and Xiyang for certain. Sameah she had less solid opinions about, considering that she hadn't had much to do with Caritas' sons.
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 3:56 am
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He blinked in surprise, but smiled nevertheless. He hadn't intended to make Caritas a sincere suggestion, he was only asking questions (and answering a few) so that he could help her figure out what she was actually looking for.
"I don't expect it's something she's ever considered for herself," he said, and he cleared his throat, "If I may say so, I'd actually suggest going down the opposite path. A Queen seems the safest, and roots in the pride certainly help.. but what about a younger lioness, someone unattached?"
For all he had done to lead them down the path Caritas, it wasn't what he truly thought was best. A mated pair was tempting, especially if they already had children (and in the high class!) .. but the more lions who were pushed into a position of power and responsibility that they didn't ask for, the more trouble there could be.
"Your job is to look out for the spiritual well-being of the pride," he said candidly, risking offense to make his point, "You're our only leader now and this is a job only you can do, but you don't have to figure everything out for us. Leave that burden for the Queen. A younger lioness is more malleable, she can make her own path. The decisions a ruler makes are not the ones a midwife makes, or a hunter, or a lady. Find someone you trust to handle that kind of pressure, someone who can do what needs to be done regardless of their personal feelings. If she's lucky, she won't need to set aside her personal interests often, but she needs to be prepared to do it."
Deciding who to trust with that could be a problem.. but the options were limited, and deciding on a queen narrowed it down significantly.
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 4:13 am
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The white lioness nodded in agreement, both to the fact that Caritas had almost certainly never considered ruling the pride and that a younger lion should be chosen. The Midwife was old enough to be a grandmother, even if none of her sons had yet shown any inclination to make her one. Damn, even Lailah herself was old enough for that. Unnerving thought. All the more reason to be focusing on someone younger.
"I do know that," she told Unyezi. "But the most important responsibility I have to the pride right now, for its spiritual well-being, is to choose the best possible monarch." She failed to respond to his point about decisions. No matter who she chose, they wouldn't know by default what to decide in any given situation. They'd either have to go with their gut or lean on their advisors. Most likely to find some situation in between.
This was, of course, the reason behind a traditional dynasty. The Heir would be educated by the ruler for whenever their time came. Shangyue may have had kids, but it seemed not even Liuhe had really been trained with an eye to rule in mind. Stupid of him. Had Shangyue thought he was immortal or something?
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Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2016 3:34 pm
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Lailah accepted what he said and fell silent, so Unyezi decided to keep talking- it had been a long time since he had given a full, true opinion on anything so important. He was being pulled this way and that by his biases and the guilty feeling that he ought to suppress them.
"A lioness from an established family would have somewhere comfortable to go when she needed advice," he said thoughtfully, his mind sifting through the lionesses he knew to be in the high class, "Choosing from Nesibindi's line would have the appeal of tradition, if risking too much change all at once is a concern. Choosing from your own family, from Mwezi'mtoto's line, would be a reasonably similar alternative. They are the two strongest lines currently in the pride."
Again, he thought of Alcmene. His daughter had been a good queen while she lived, she had been among those to connect the two families-- but she was not alone.
"Have you discussed this with Nketa and Antara?" he asked, "It seems either would be ideal if they were willing."
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Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 2:26 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2016 3:32 am
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Unyezi knew that neither Nketa nor Antara were jumping at the chance to claim the throne, and he doubted either was the type to wait to be asked just to make a show of accepting. It could be reluctance but it could also be caution, he wouldn't know what to make of that until their decisions were known.
"For what it's worth, I have complete faith that you will make a good decision," he said, looking back at Lailah with a smile, "There is no correct answer waiting for you to find it, you have options. And you should know that in living memory, each lion chosen to rule has done good things. Even Parisa did the right thing in the end. Fuu, Lela, Thoth, Fafnir, Aureole.. my mother.."
He trailed off and looked away thoughtfully.
It seemed to be those born for it that were the easiest to corrupt, to put off the path laid before them. Shangyue felt entitled to rule and that ended badly. Unyezi himself and now Liuhe, they denied their responsibility and birthright to look out for themselves.
"Perhaps this is what we need."
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