The Counsel

She awoke from what she felt was a deep slumber. She felt completely refreshed. Her driver knelt beside her.
“I don’t know what you did, but you almost shook the very foundations of the hall.” Her driver stated.
“I am ready to face the counsel, Catherine.” She stated. “I unlocked the secret. I was able to do it!”
“To do what?” her driver asked.
“I know why they fear us.” She replied. She grasped her driver’s hand and released a small share of the knowledge she shared with the Grand Duchess. Her driver fainted as she released her grip. She knelt next to her driver and waited for her to wake.

“Wow!” her driver exclaimed. “That was almost better than sex!” The two women giggled to each other before they burst into hysterical laughter.
“The other Families fear us because we have knowledge of the dark arts and their defence that the other Families dare not use. Their knowledge is like that of a child, without the full understanding they are a danger to themselves and others. The Grand Duchess never feared it and neither will we.” She stated boldly.
“I think we should act quickly to instruct the others.” Her driver openly stated.
“No, they are meant to learn from the sacred texts. Their knowledge will be more specific to protecting and serving their individual houses.” She projected, feeling the same presence nearby she felt earlier.
“Of course!” her driver exclaimed. “That’s why Lady Robyn’s father chose to sacrifice his own life. To protect the Family.”
“Precisely.” She recanted. “I shall have to task my guests to find the other two measures while the three of us confront the counsel.”
“We have to find your sister.” Her driver noted. The two women quickly fled the great hall. They burst into the library as her grandmother slid the hidden bookcase shut. She noted the members of the Green House who were present. She sank into a chair beside the great book as she struggled to catch her breath. Her driver sank into the chair opposite her.

“You two look as though you’ve had the devil chasing you.” Her grandmother spoke.
“Gran, The other two measures... Have my guests assist you in finding them.” She started to speak.
“One measure you will find hidden behind the clock in the men’s smoking room, and the other is hidden beneath the floor of the chapel.” Her driver finished.
“Begin lessons to the entire family according to each house before week’s end.” She commanded softly. She stood facing her sister.
“My dear sister, I have to share with you the reason why this is most important.” She stated softly while taking her sister’s hand in a firm grip. She flooded her sister with a share of the same knowledge given to her earlier. Her sister’s reaction was similar to her driver’s but she did not faint.
“Kewl!” her sister replied. “Let’s go kick some butt!”
“You needn’t bother.” A man’s voice echoed. “I have already found you.” A hooded figure appeared in the middle of the library. She laughed out loud.
“You mock me!” the hooded figure retorted.
“Yes, I do.” She continued laughing. She waved her hand and five gilded chairs appeared behind her. The chair arrangement was similar to a robed family gathering. Her great grandmother appeared and sat in the last chair. Her sister sat in the fourth chair. She sat in the middle chair while her driver sat in the second chair.
“You should fear me, you silly little girl.” The hooded figure spoke.

“Why would I do that?” she replied. “I know who you are and why you are here.” The hooded figure dropped his hood and stood defiantly before her.
“The counsel will once again be represented by a member of this Family.” She stated aloud. She sensed the open defiance from this man and how it was he who feared the return of the Family to the governing counsel. Just then the Library door opened and the other eight head of the houses approached the chairs. Her grandmother took her place amongst them.
“Tell me Lucratius.” She asked. “Why should I fear you, when it is you who should be fearful? Your family will no longer be able to manipulate the counsel. The Family will re-open the Chambers that your Family has managed to keep closed all these centuries.”
“Your Family has not yet earned its seat back on the counsel.” Lucratius spat.
“While that is true, the counsel will no longer accept your vote as being ours.” She spoke softly.
“You will not sit on the counsel, nor cast a vote.” Lucratius spat, as he removed a wand from within the folds of his cloak.
“Expelliarmus!” She cried. She extended her arm full force at Lucratius, his wand came to land in her hand. She stood and broke the wand in half.
“A wand I can replace…” Lucratius began.
“But not before you’ve been banished from these halls.” She commanded. Her concentration on this thought paralleled evening the score. Lucratius vanished in a blinding flash of light. The broken wand she held dissolved into ashes. The silence in the library remained deafening.

“Whoa, wand less at the very least, but stupid question, who was that?” her sister spoke breaking the silence. She managed a smile with her sister’s humour as everyone else broke into laughter that shook the window panes. She fought to remain composed as her body trembled inside to her very soul.
“That was the Chamberlain of the Governing Counsel, My dear.” Her great grandmother spoke. “He is a most arduous man. I was most unfortunate to have met him in my younger years.” Everyone broke into boisterous laughter.

“I shall see to it that a request is made to convene the counsel and petition our seat be returned to us immediately.” Her driver motioned. Everyone agreed. She sat back down and pondered the situation she and the heads of the Family now faced. She hid her trembling hands as she fought her own fears. She wanted desperately to hide in her husband’s arms but remembered her station and how the family looked to her for guidance. To return to the counsel would provide stability, but it would also reveal the family to those who were obvious enemies.
“The entire family will return to the estate grounds immediately.” She commanded softly, her body continued to tremble inside. “Housing is to be constructed for everyone and no one is to leave until they have properly completed their studies. This is for their own protection more than anything else.” She fought back the desire to run head long for the men’s sanctuary, and the implied safety of the men of the family. The head of the houses left the library to send dispatches, summoning the entire family to the estate. She finally composed herself and felt a small twinge of guilt for having banished the chamberlain from the estate instead of imprisoning him, but remembered her wedding day where she showed she could be merciful as well as responsible. To have imprisoned the chamberlain could have erupted in chaos within the other counsel members.
“Those who are in immediate danger are members of the Green and Grey houses.” Her driver mentioned. “They will remain housed in the hall until accommodations are completed.”
“You have done well, my dear.” Her great grandmother projected to her. “Very well indeed, but you must stop doubting yourself. You did what had to be done, and no one else has the power to have done what you just did.”

She silently continued to ponder the current situation and wondered if her husband had safely reached the meeting with her brother-in-law. Her question was answered immediately as Ferule escorted her husband into the library.
“The counsel has been compiling information for you since they learned of your coronation.” Her husband spoke quietly to her. “They are waiting for a formal request from the Family before they will agree to hear a petition for return of the seat.”
“James, Catherine is taking care of drafting a formal request right now.” She softly replied. “In the mean time, it is important for everyone to return to their normal routines and duties while the Family gathers. There will be much to do.”
“Well my dear,” her great grandmother stated. “I would say that we should not keep the staff from their normal duties and partake in the mid day meal they have been preparing for us to enjoy.”
“I can’t agree more.” Her sister stated.
“I guess I’m out voted.” She quipped.
“Nope, But dam close.” Her driver added quickly. Together the women departed the Library and headed towards the rich smells emanating from the kitchens.
“It looks as though this room will be seeing a lot of use over the next while.” Her mother stated as she sat with them. She lost herself in though as her lunch plate arrived and failed to notice everyone else has begun eating.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Her great grandmother’s voice sounded inside her head. She snapped back to the company of the others, and took up her fork hoping the others had not noticed.
“I have a task for the orange House, Ma’am.” She projected back to her great grandmother.
“I will see that they will be requested to join you after lunch, my dear.” Her grandmother projected back.
“I was thinking that we can use our mid day meal as a time for the other heads of house to join us, and keep us appraised of Family business.” She stated. Everyone silently nodded in agreement to her statement.

“A wise choice my dear, as the men will usually confine themselves to the dining hall, after which they usually escape to the sanctuary of the smoking room.” Her great grandmother stated openly. She also noted the other women gathered with her. Absent were the heads of the Violet, Yellow and Grey Houses, as well as the head of the Orange House. The other heads of house had placed themselves amongst other members of their houses at the other tables. There seemed to be a segregation of sorts with each of the houses keeping to themselves. She pondered how to keep the family united and not openly segregate themselves as had been the custom that had eventually led to the events where the sacred texts had been dispersed.

“Ferule, I have need of you.” She projected firmly.
“Yes, mistress.” Ferule spoke softly beside her. She beckoned Ferule to her shoulder.
“Starting tomorrow,” she whispered in Ferule’s ear. “Everyone shall be seated according to their age, regardless of their station or house, including myself. Please see to the seating arrangements personally.”
“Of course, Mistress.” Ferule spoke softly in reply, and departed. She made a mental note that her driver would be remaining next to her with the new seating arrangements and her sister would still be close by as well, though the other heads of house would all be sequestered together, apart from her. This she felt was perfect, as it afforded her an opportunity to listen directly to the daily activities of those within the family closer to her own age.
“Tomorrow shall mark a new beginning.” She over heard her great grandmother. She regarded her great grandmother’s comment as though her great grandmother already knew what was going to be taking place.

“Tomorrow is indeed the start of a new beginning, Ma’am.” She stated openly. “Perhaps difficult for some, but definitely needed. As a Family, we will not make the same mistakes, as in the past.” Everyone looked up at her, and though they all wished to speak at once, her stare seemed to have silently stilled their thoughts. She finished her meal in silence as the others returned to exchanging small bits of information. She listened to several conversations but refrained from adding to the conversations as she found her mind jumping back and forth between the morning’s events. She also noted her sister and her driver, also refraining from adding to the exchanges at the table. She rose from the table and departed with out a backward glance.
“The past shall remain in the past.” She projected to her sister. “Meet me in the chapel.”
“Wass-up?” her sister responded in her mind.
“We have much to do this afternoon.” She responded back. Her driver walked quietly beside her as they headed for the chapel. She found a detail from the black house guarding several trolleys laden with heavy books outside the chapel and the sound of floor boards being hammered back into place. Several of the books had a layer of mould on the leather covers, wrapping the books. Her sister looked in horror at the condition of the volumes.

“I can see I have some restorations to do, starting this afternoon.” Her sister stated. The guards snapped to attention and waited.
“Escort my sister and these books to the Library.” She commanded quietly. “I trust they were all found?”
“Yes Ma’am.” The guard commander responded, and motioned her detail to begin transporting the books to the library. Her sister departed close behind the guards, as they whisked the trolleys away. She waited patiently within the chapel, as the remaining work on the floor was completed.
“You have a task, Ma’am?” Her great aunt quietly asked her. She pondered silently a few moments longer while raising her hand to acknowledge her aunt’s question.
“The Grey House has long been without the proper recognition it deserves.” She stated. “They are Family and are often treated as mere servants.”
“I know this Ma’am, But it is their station to serve.” Her great aunt rebutted.
“Beginning this afternoon, design architecture will begin on a Tower to be built between the hall and the main garages.” She softly commanded. “You have five days to prepare the concept for presentation.”
“Five days, Ma’am?” her great aunt replied. She noted the hesitance of her great aunt.
“Yes, five days.” She responded. “After that, the Orange House will work with the family gentlemen to draft the necessary plans to begin construction.”
“When do you wish construction to be started?” her great aunt politely asked.
“Construction is to commence in one month.” She softly commanded.
“But Ma’am, it is impossible to be ready in so little time.” Her great aunt pleaded.
“What ever resources you require, you will have.” She retorted. “The tower for the Grey House will be my Christmas present to them.”
“And completed in less than a year?” her great aunt began to protest. “Impossible!”
“You have your task.” She spoke in a manner reminiscent of her great grandmother.
“B-But, Ma’am.” Her great aunt began to plead once again.

“Your own House is dangerously close to being relocated to the existing dormitories near the stables.” She projected sternly at her great aunt.
“Y-Yes, Ma’am” her great aunt trembled. “Five days from today the presentation will be ready.”
“Your task is singularly important as the Grey House shall have a great need in the future.” She silently projected. She imparted a hint at the new tower’s importance.
“I-I understand completely, Ma’am.” Her great aunt replied. Her great aunt fled the chapel quickly and left her in solitude. Within her mind, she recanted the vision of a tower which once stood where she requested the new tower be built. The crucial intersection of two underground tunnels, and the remaining foundation stones hidden under the present road surface, told her how important this location was to the future defence of the estate.

“I thought I’d find you here.” Her sister mentioned. She looked up to see her sister standing in the chapel’s entrance.
“Please, join me.” She invited. Her thoughts mingled with her sister’s thoughts as she laid out the defence plans for the estate, and keep any at bay who might wish harm to the family.