Assimilate All Talents

"So what if I'm using [Instigate]?" Gladys didn't bother denying the accusation. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to speak the truth you all refuse to face."

Gladys' [Instigate] was a rare talent skill one could gain from orator-type talents such as [Crier], [Persuader], or in Gladys' case, the unique talent [Wordsmith]. But contrary to what one might assume from the skill's name, [Instigate] didn't compel people to act on her words, it simply made them open to the possibility. In the right hands, it could ignite revolutions.

The skill allowed her to temporarily take control of the flow of conversation, projecting her words with clarity to any who listened. It was perfect for addressing large crowds or, in this case, making her voice echo without interruption through a chamber of nobles bent on condemning her.

It was still an incredibly difficult skill to use, useless if the user couldn't offer convincing arguments or stir belief, but Gladys was no mere speaker. She had decades of experience as both a noble and a once-declared heir to the throne. She knew how to use every pause, every glance, every word to full effect.

For a moment, silence followed her words. A few murmurs lingered, tension simmering just beneath the surface.

Then, Valerie took a breath and stepped forward. Her expression didn't falter, nor did she raise her voice to match the dramatics of her aunt.

"You speak the truth, Aunt." Valerie said clearly, her voice rising above the tension like a blade sliding from its sheath. "Yes, the kingdom suffered under a sick king. Yes, many died before help could arrive. And yes, you are the eldest child of King Alric."

The room rippled with surprise. Gladys blinked, caught off guard by the sudden concession.

"But truth alone does not make you right."

Valerie slowly descended the steps of the throne, her gaze sweeping the chamber as she continued, "Because truth without justice is nothing but arrogance. You say you acted for the good of the kingdom, yet your actions led to the deaths of 13,000 people. You justified bloodshed and treason with technicalities, as if tradition alone grants you the right to rule."

She stopped at the bottom of the steps, now standing almost directly across from Gladys.

"You say my grandfather broke tradition, that he chose a younger sibling over the rightful heir. He did—and that cannot be denied. But what he also chose was someone who wouldn't burn the kingdom to prove a point. Someone who would protect its people, not use them as pawns to make a claim. And for that same reason, I will take on the heavy burden of the crown and continue the work of my father and his father before him and every ruler before them, to ensure our kingdom continues to prosper. And it won't be built upon the sacrifices of the people you so easily discard."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Gladys laughed once, sharp, cold, and humorless.

"Noble words. Beautiful, even." She said, "But utterly naïve."

Her voice hardened. "You think you can lead this kingdom with optimism and morality alone? That righteousness will be enough to face what lies ahead? You haven't tasted the world's cruelty, not truly. You've lived in a palace, protected by guards and advisors, sheltered from the decisions that rot a person from the inside."

She stepped forward, chains clinking softly with each movement.

"I knew people would die. I knew I would be hated. But I accepted that, because someone had to. Someone had to bear the weight of the future. Not just for today—but for a kingdom that might survive another century."

Her voice grew louder, addressing not just Valerie now, but the entire chamber.

"You call me a monster for what I've done, but I did what none of you had the courage to even consider. I made the hard choice. I saw what this kingdom needed, not just what it wanted to believe in. And I was willing to be reviled for it, because that is what a true ruler must do."

A few nobles remained frozen in silence, others shifted uncomfortably.

Gladys looked straight at Valerie.

"And you? You still speak of idealism and hope. But you lack what this kingdom needs most, resolve. That's why it's not you they should place their trust in. It's me."

She lifted her head and scanned the entire chamber.

"If you all follow me, I promise you, we will not just survive. We will thrive. I will give you the future this kingdom deserves."

For a moment, the room hung in silence, tension coiled tight.

Then Valerie raised a brow and slowly turned to the line of nobles near the throne.

"Lord Sigurd," she called calmly.

He stepped forward stiffly, his face unreadable.

"You were part of the rebellious faction." She said, partially to explain to some of the unaware nobles in the chamber. "I want to hear it from you, what was the original goal of your movement?"

There was a heavy silence before Sigurd finally answered, his voice low but steady.

"Our goal… was to overthrow the monarchy." He said stiffly. Gasps followed, but he didn't stop. "We wanted to establish a nation ruled by a parliament of noble houses, where power would be shared equally, so that the kingdom would not be crippled by the failure or absence of a single person."

The chamber stirred again, but Valerie raised her hand to silence them.

She then turned back to Gladys.

"And how does that align with your desire to take the throne for yourself?"

Gladys raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly. "Do you think I wouldn't? Of course I would have established it once I became queen. Someone had to take the lead. I would've made the reforms."

Valerie tilted her head. "Is that so?" she said, then slowly reached into the inner fold of her dress and retrieved a small, crystalline shard.

She held it up, and a soft glow lit the room as the memory crystal activated.

An image shimmered into view, revealing Gladys seated comfortably in a lavish room, recognizable to some as one of her private estates. Across from her sat another noble, one of the nobles now known to be a part of the rebellious faction.

"When do you plan to tell the others about your true intentions?" the man asked, his voice edged with cautious amusement.

Gladys laughed, elegant and cruel. "Tell them? Of course not. Someone needs to take the blame for everything, and who better than them? Once I take the crown, I'll denounce the lot. Traitors, the whole bunch. But I'll need your help when the time comes."

The noble gave a knowing, ugly grin. "Of course, Duchess Gladys. I'll do everything in my power to help you succeed. I just hope you remember your promise."

Gladys nodded. "You'll have Sigurd's durium mines. Don't worry."

The image flickered and vanished.