FULL NOVELXO Chapter 25 ~ His Priority
The highest ranks of Draconium sat in the back of the courtroom. Three Chief Justices sat the bench. Listening to the prosecution enumerate the charges against Pogue. The grand jury were hearing everything Pogue had done.. and had ordered done.
His defense attorneys.. whom, ironically, were shifters.. laid out a case blaming everything on Hicks and Silas. They claimed that while Pogue had signed off on the testing orders, he signed hundreds of such orders on a daily basis. He had never had the time to read through them all.
It wasn’t enough.. and the grand jury unanimously voted for impeachment..and sentenced him to life in a maximum security facility. It was a win.. Now it was Aurora’s turn.
She stood in front of the grand jury.. laying out the class action suit to compensate the families of the fallen. She had included the families of the soldiers who had died in Pogue’s war. That was the decided upon name of the conflict.. It would go down in history as ‘Pogue’s War’.. a blight in the history of a once great nation!
The Grand Jury took two hours to deliberate.. and came back with a settlement agreement of forty eight million.. to be distributed evenly among the victims’ families.
Draco sat with the Speaker of the House..as he was acting President, until such a time as an emergency election could be held.
Draco said “I expect the election to be held within a month. Only candidates sanctioned by the supernatural realm will be entertained.. Every candidate will be vetted by my ranks.. and there won’t be any doubts to their loyalty and dedication. Do NOT try and propose a candidate with any kind of shady past. We will have final say.”
The speaker told him “King Draco, I am afraid the United States government can not allow you to dictate who, among humans, is the proper presidential candidate.”
Draco laughed “Why not? That’s how your elections are always handled, correct? Your parties choose the most malleable person they can find.. so they can control and manipulate them into doing that party’s bidding.”
The speaker blustered and stammered “No! No.. that isn’t true at all!” Draco said “Shut up! Which lobbyists are pushing what agendas you are working towards? Who has You in their pocket, Mr. Speaker? Just get the candidates readied.. and send me the list. I will let you know who I approve of! Then, we will discuss the conditions of the new treaty!”
Everyone of the ranks loaded up and headed to the shifter’s council.. walking straight to council chambers. Draco turned to a clerk and asked “Where is the council?” The clerk was shaking in his boots.. responded “They all went into hiding when word of a possible war came to us.”
Evander roared “They left everyone alone here in Capitol City? With no protection! Cowards! Who did they leave in charge? Get them in here! This will not stand!”
Adrianna comforted him to calm him down.. Draco sat down to the side of the rectangular table.. Evander sat at the head.. A few moments later, an elderly woman walked in.. nodding to Adrianna and bowing.. first to Draco.. then to Evander.
She asked “To what do we owe this honor? I wasn’t informed you would be visiting, King Draco.” Draco sneered “Cut the shit. Which councilman is your boss?”
She murmured “Harrison.” Draco nodded, then told her “Call the remaining councilmen.. tell them their seat has been recalled. We will be appointing new members, effective immediately! I was going to speak with the remaining ten members.. and choose who would stay. But to find out they all ran and hid away.. tells me they are incapable of making the tough decisions. I can’t have pussies on my council!”
She walked out.. Evander said “Adrian and Erik ran down a list of potential candidates.. Mom and Adranna vetted them. I am leaning towards two of each species.. It will even out discussions and every species will have a voice.”
Draco said “Your decision, son. They will be your council. Make sure they understand you have final say in any decisions they are voting on.. and you are always the deciding vote in any tiebreaker situation!”
They sat, going through the candidates.. knowing they were all good men. Finally decided on the ten he wanted, he took out his phone and called every one of the men and three women he’d chosen.. Asking them to be at council headquarters by morning.
After a restful night’s sleep, Adrianna and Evander met with the council members and got them all sworn in. Adrianna then asked “If any of you have office administrators…personal assistants.. or people only you trust, to fill those positions, it is greatly advisable.. if not, we will hire ones we know are loyal and will be capable at their jobs.”
They all said they had people they would bring in with them.. so that was one less worry in our transition to this new council. Things are changing for our supernatural world.. just as they are for the human one.
They have proven for the last time they can’t be trusted. They didn’t want to go this route.. but they have left us with no choice. Pogue is being punished.. but none of his joint chiefs were. None of the humans who knew.. got fired.. that’s all. Ignorant! They are each culpable… guilty!
When they all drafted the treaty, they had done so in all fairness to the humans.. It was changed a week ago.. They broke too many of treaty provisions.. Now, to do so, brings them under Shifter’s jurisdiction… if they sign the treaty. Not that Draco will give them a choice not to!
Evander took two extra days to make sure all the new council members and their families were settled in,
When word came from back home.. the babies needed Momma and Daddy time. That’s something that everything else in the realm falls second to. Evander’s family will always be his priority.