Post by devilinthedetails on Oct 29, 2018 9:55:38 GMT 10
Title: A New Knight Commander
Rating: PG
Summary: Jon must appoint a new Knight Commander of the King's Own.
A New Knight Commander
“Lord Raoul has submitted notice of his resignation as Knight Commander of the Own, and we must decide his successor.” Jon didn’t glance down at the formal resignation Lord Raoul had submitted as he began the meeting with his heir and Prime Minister. The resignation letter would only be a painful reminder—like the gray in the hair he had to arrange every morning to conceal the balding spots—of his mounting age. First he had needed to replace Alanna as King’s Champion with another erstwhile former squire, Zahir ibn Alhaz. Now he had the daunting duty of appointing Raoul’s successor. Once he and his friends in their youthful arrogance and optimism had believed they would never grow old, but here they were handing responsibility after responsibility onto the next generation.
“Surely the straightforward choice is Keladry of Mindelan.” Roald sounded matter-of-fact even when advocating on a friend’s behalf. He never wanted even a trace in his tone to leave him vulnerable to a charge of partiality. “She served as Lord Raoul’s squire with the Own, and Lord Raoul himself recommended her in a strongly worded letter he affixed to his resignation so Your Majesty wouldn’t mislay it.”
“He had the nerve to write that, yes.” Jon didn’t appreciate the gleam of humor in his son’s blue eyes as he finished his endorsement of Keladry of Mindelan, nor did he wish to share the slight smile hidden beneath Gary’s whitening mustache. “Regardless of Lord Raoul’s recommendation, the fact remains that Keladry of Mindelan isn’t the only candidate worthy of consideration. What about Captain Domitan of Masbolle? He’s served in the Own for years, was the sergeant Lord Raoul trusted to lead a squad behind enemy lines during the Scanran war, and has now risen to command a company.”
“Captain Domitan of Masbolle would be perfectly qualified except for the minor problem that he’s endorsed another candidate for the position, and it would look strange indeed if we promoted him while disregarding his recommendation.” Gary rummaged through his ever-present stack of documents to reference a letter before concluding with a wry twist of his mouth, “He’s very passionate in his support for Keladry of Mindelan. He even threatens to resign if anyone other than Keladry of Mindelan is appointed to the post and asserts that many of his best men will follow him. Apparently Keladry of Mindelan has a fervent following in the Own.”
“She may have a fervent following in the Own but she doesn’t at court. The conservatives will be outraged if she’s named Knight Commander of the Own.” Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. Every reform he implemented represented a tiring struggle uphill in the rain with the conservatives, and the battle to integrate the Own would be a particularly fierce one, he predicted. The conservatives would be reluctant to surrender one of their bastions of masculinity. “The lords of Stone Mountain and Genlith are ardently opposed to her, blaming her for the fates their sons met in their Ordeals.”
“The conservatives aren’t a monolith.” Roald was quiet but firm, and, not for the first time, it occurred to Jon that his diplomatic son might have a better insight into the conservative element in the realm since his communications with them were significantly less contentious. “Lord Wyldon of Cavall and General Vanget haMinch will have to endorse her since she commanded camps under their authority. The moderate conservatives will follow Lord Wyldon and General Vanget, isolating the radical conservative faction, who won’t be able to garner the support needed to effectively oppose Keladry of Mindelan’s appointment.”
“If we don’t integrate the Own now, when will we?” pointed out Gary, looking as if he were already marshaling his arguments in favor of Keladry of Mindelan’s appointment.
“I thought you might be the voice of reason to state that we don’t need to integrate the Own during my reign.” Jon shot his cousin a rueful glance even as his fingers beat a tattoo on the table, his mind drafting a letter to Keladry of Mindelan extending her the honor of serving the kingdom as Knight Commander of the Own. “I will write a letter to Keladry of Mindelan offering her the position, and another to Raoul, informing him that it’s his responsibility to convince her to accept after he’s advocated as stubbornly as a dog with a bone.”
Rating: PG
Summary: Jon must appoint a new Knight Commander of the King's Own.
A New Knight Commander
“Lord Raoul has submitted notice of his resignation as Knight Commander of the Own, and we must decide his successor.” Jon didn’t glance down at the formal resignation Lord Raoul had submitted as he began the meeting with his heir and Prime Minister. The resignation letter would only be a painful reminder—like the gray in the hair he had to arrange every morning to conceal the balding spots—of his mounting age. First he had needed to replace Alanna as King’s Champion with another erstwhile former squire, Zahir ibn Alhaz. Now he had the daunting duty of appointing Raoul’s successor. Once he and his friends in their youthful arrogance and optimism had believed they would never grow old, but here they were handing responsibility after responsibility onto the next generation.
“Surely the straightforward choice is Keladry of Mindelan.” Roald sounded matter-of-fact even when advocating on a friend’s behalf. He never wanted even a trace in his tone to leave him vulnerable to a charge of partiality. “She served as Lord Raoul’s squire with the Own, and Lord Raoul himself recommended her in a strongly worded letter he affixed to his resignation so Your Majesty wouldn’t mislay it.”
“He had the nerve to write that, yes.” Jon didn’t appreciate the gleam of humor in his son’s blue eyes as he finished his endorsement of Keladry of Mindelan, nor did he wish to share the slight smile hidden beneath Gary’s whitening mustache. “Regardless of Lord Raoul’s recommendation, the fact remains that Keladry of Mindelan isn’t the only candidate worthy of consideration. What about Captain Domitan of Masbolle? He’s served in the Own for years, was the sergeant Lord Raoul trusted to lead a squad behind enemy lines during the Scanran war, and has now risen to command a company.”
“Captain Domitan of Masbolle would be perfectly qualified except for the minor problem that he’s endorsed another candidate for the position, and it would look strange indeed if we promoted him while disregarding his recommendation.” Gary rummaged through his ever-present stack of documents to reference a letter before concluding with a wry twist of his mouth, “He’s very passionate in his support for Keladry of Mindelan. He even threatens to resign if anyone other than Keladry of Mindelan is appointed to the post and asserts that many of his best men will follow him. Apparently Keladry of Mindelan has a fervent following in the Own.”
“She may have a fervent following in the Own but she doesn’t at court. The conservatives will be outraged if she’s named Knight Commander of the Own.” Jon pinched the bridge of his nose. Every reform he implemented represented a tiring struggle uphill in the rain with the conservatives, and the battle to integrate the Own would be a particularly fierce one, he predicted. The conservatives would be reluctant to surrender one of their bastions of masculinity. “The lords of Stone Mountain and Genlith are ardently opposed to her, blaming her for the fates their sons met in their Ordeals.”
“The conservatives aren’t a monolith.” Roald was quiet but firm, and, not for the first time, it occurred to Jon that his diplomatic son might have a better insight into the conservative element in the realm since his communications with them were significantly less contentious. “Lord Wyldon of Cavall and General Vanget haMinch will have to endorse her since she commanded camps under their authority. The moderate conservatives will follow Lord Wyldon and General Vanget, isolating the radical conservative faction, who won’t be able to garner the support needed to effectively oppose Keladry of Mindelan’s appointment.”
“If we don’t integrate the Own now, when will we?” pointed out Gary, looking as if he were already marshaling his arguments in favor of Keladry of Mindelan’s appointment.
“I thought you might be the voice of reason to state that we don’t need to integrate the Own during my reign.” Jon shot his cousin a rueful glance even as his fingers beat a tattoo on the table, his mind drafting a letter to Keladry of Mindelan extending her the honor of serving the kingdom as Knight Commander of the Own. “I will write a letter to Keladry of Mindelan offering her the position, and another to Raoul, informing him that it’s his responsibility to convince her to accept after he’s advocated as stubbornly as a dog with a bone.”
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!