Chapter 388 The First Round Table Meeting
The day after Queen Sofia's death.
At 7:07 a.m., the bells rang at the Candlemas Cathedral in Red Queen.
It was a dull chime, quite different from the usual chimes of the bells. Thick leather pads were tied to each side of the bell's clapper to muffle the sound.
The bells rang seventy-nine times in succession, symbolizing the seventy-nine years that the Queen had lived.
By the time the seventy-nine bells had rung, Isabel had already taken the head seat at the round table.
The Round Table Hall is also inside the Hall of Silver and Tin, and even in the main hall.
Long ago, the original "Round Table" was a place where knights enjoyed banquets before and after battle. At that time, the Knights of the Round Table would chat and discuss while eating. Later, as more and more warriors followed Arthur, the banquets were definitely not limited to a single table.
But there is no doubt that the knights who ate at the same table with Arthur were the bravest, most loyal, most powerful, and most prestigious among them.
They were known as the "Knights of the Round Table." Many matters were decided collectively, while other knights attending the banquet would listen and offer their opinions—everyone had a say. But the final decision rested with the knights at the Round Table.
This also became a tradition for the Knights of the Round Table to discuss political affairs.
By the time the Temple of Silver and Tin was completed, the earliest Knights of the Round Table had already ascended to the Dream Realm, and naturally, there was no need for the heirs to gather for meals.
But even so, in order to remember his former comrades, Lancelot still transformed the largest and most central room in the main hall of the Temple of Silver and Tin into the Round Table Room, where he placed the round table that could once seat twenty-two people.
In addition to the twenty founders, there is also Lancelot himself and the Silver Crown Dragon, who was hidden from history. This is exactly the number of the Major Arcana in the Tarot.
Later, more and more knights qualified to enter the Hall of the Round Table, and the political affairs faced by Avalon after its founding became increasingly complex, far beyond the level that those twenty people could handle.
But as an antique, the round table cannot be made bigger and bigger.
So, apart from the founding family who can sit at the round table, the other knights will gather around the two sides and the front of the round table. There are three rows of seats of different heights, which looks like a tiered classroom.
——In other words, most of the knights and ministers who came to the Round Table Hall for the meeting were not qualified to sit at the round table.
In Avalon, a city known for its authority, proximity to the Round Table symbolized a knight's status and influence. The closer one was to the Round Table, the higher their status. Within the Round Table, there were three levels: the "Inner Ring," the "Middle Ring," and the "Outer Ring."
Meetings in the Round Table Hall were held quite frequently. At its slowest, there were two or three meetings a month, and at its fastest, there could be more than five a week. However, the Founder Family rarely showed up for any of the meetings, and the inner circle always had a large number of people missing. The knights of the outer circle, on the other hand, always filled the room.
The Round Table Room is different today than usual.
All the knights did not arrive at the Round Table Hall in advance, but lined up at the door.
After the funeral bell has finished ringing, everyone will enter through the main gate one by one after being summoned.
The order of entrance was decided by Isabel—actually, of course, written by Aiwass.
After entering from the main entrance, the first thing you have to do is pass the long glass steps.
This is one of the reasons it's called the "Glass Island," due to its abundance of glass. The glass steps were part of Avalon's royal rituals in the early years. Because glass is slippery and fragile, and the knights wore heavy armor, a fall could easily shatter the glass steps.
This forced the knights to advance slowly and cautiously, as a sign of their loyalty and respect to the royal family and the Round Table Hall.
After entering, they did not sit in their seats, but walked to Isabel's right, knelt on one knee, swore allegiance, and kissed the silver dragon ring on Isabel's hand. However, because Isabel was not married yet, according to etiquette, she should kiss the ring on her thumb.
The first person to enter was Ligeia, the Deputy Director of the Arbitration Hall and the Grand Arbitrator. The second was the Grand Guardian, the Knight Commander of the Round Table and the Minister of Military and Political Affairs. The third was Shafiya, the Grand Judge who was the Deputy Director of the Inspectorate. The fourth was the aging Grand Justice.
The fifth one is the turn of the Minister of Camelot, who is the Privy Councilor.
He was an old man with white hair and green eyes. He looked to be at least sixty or seventy years old, yet he still wore a full body armor of shimmering silver. Even his hands were gauntlets. He did not carry a sword, even though he had the right to do so. He simply carried the shield he had inherited from his ancestor Galahad, as a sign of his determination to protect Avalon with his life.
But when the Minister of Camelot came in, he was even startled.
He was first surprised that he was the fifth one to enter... On the other hand, he was also surprised that he was the fifth one to enter.
The Privy Councillor is essentially the equivalent of a Prime Minister in Star Antimony or a Minister of State in Iris. They serve as the King or Queen's chief advisor and handle many of the most crucial government matters. They are considered the most important and highest-ranking minister in Avalon.
When Queen Sofia ascended the throne sixty years ago, the second person she pledged allegiance to was the Privy Councilor. Of course, he was definitely not the Privy Councilor of that generation.
However, the Minister of Camelot also considered himself loyal to Queen Sofia and an absolute confidant of her—which was why Queen Sofia had given him the position of Privy Councilor. The Camelot family was considered a branch of the House of Du Lac, and their ancestors could also be considered descendants of Lanstrore I, so they were related.
Five years ago, Queen Sophia even secretly told him... If all the members of the Du Lac family died due to the curse or became extinct, then the Camelot family could adopt one of their heirs into the Du Lac family and make him the new king.
However, ever since Queen Sophia died last night and the Palace of Silver and Tin did not urgently summon him... Minister Camelot actually had a premonition.
It wasn't until he saw the newspaper this morning that he completely gave up.
He certainly wasn't one of those people Isabel would classify as trustworthy.
This is actually reasonable.
After all, objectively speaking, the bloodline of the House of Camelot posed a threat to Isabel, who was not compatible with the path of authority. Furthermore, even if old Camelot was loyal to Queen Isabel, his descendants might not be able to maintain this loyalty inherited from the family.
...But having said that. After all, Old Camelot had watched Isabel grow up, and he felt a little sad when he sensed Isabel's wariness.
However, what surprised the Minister of Camelot was that the young minister who was deeply trusted by Queen Isabel was not the first to enter the Round Table Hall.
Even when the knights were almost in, there was no sign of Minister Moriarty.
——Is he late?
This is what the knights thought at first.
But after all the knights entered, that seat on the round table was still empty.
At the first round table meeting after the new king ascended the throne, only one person was absent.
The knights whispered about this unusual scene - some of them felt relieved, some felt gloating, and some felt uneasy about this unusual scene.
In law-abiding Avalon, the "unreasonable" is the most disturbing anomaly.
Finally, amidst the increasingly clamorous discussion, Queen Isabelle rang the bell beside her. The knights rose in a chaotic cacophony, their armor rubbing against each other. Even those conversing hadn't completely quieted down. The clamor in the Round Table Hall had only subsided slightly, but it still persisted, even becoming more piercing.
It wasn't until the Great Guardian coughed softly, and the power of authority radiated into the room that the Round Table Hall finally became quiet.
"The meeting is now in session."
Following Aiwass's advice, Isabel declared sternly, "Gentlemen, please take your seats."
As Isabel finished speaking, the two ceremonial officers guarding the door of the Round Table Hall knocked the closed door of the Round Table Hall one by one with the dragon-headed scepters in their hands.
"Praise the Silver Crown Dragon!"
"Hail Queen Isabel!"
They sang loudly in turn.
The first knock revealed a silver-white "X" on the heavy, silver-black door, which then shone with light, completely sealing it. The second knock landed right in the middle of the "X," sparking a larger, shield-like cross that overlapped the "X."
A silver barrier instantly expanded, encompassing the entire Round Table Hall. It dispelled all power within the Round Table Hall except for authority, purifying the minds and hearts of everyone present, dispelling any spells that could cause charm or suggestion, and completely blocking spells such as teleportation, eavesdropping, and spying. It also prevented external attacks.
Then, all the knights present shouted in unison: "Praise the Silver Crown Dragon! Praise Queen Isabel!"
Then, all the knights sat down simultaneously. The heavy armor dropped in unison, making a sound like the sound of thousands of horses halting in unison.
Isabel pursed her lips subconsciously, feeling nervous about the spectacular sight before her.
But she still remembered what Aiwass had told her.
She even regarded this as a test——
Even though she had Aiwass to rely on and elders like Ligeia to lean on, she was ultimately the Queen of Avalon and almost the only heir to the Du Lac family.
Apart from her two-year-old brother John and her biological father, Prince Albert, who had escaped the royal family and the curse long ago, Isabel had no relatives.
She had to be strong.
Perhaps Aiwass could help her, but he couldn't help her forever - Aiwass didn't have the characteristics of the authoritarian path, which meant that rule and power were of no use to him. Aiwass would eventually move on to a higher place, and by then Avalon would only be a burden to him.
——Even if you can't help, you must never become a burden.
This has been Isabel's philosophy from beginning to end.
It was with this idea in mind that she faced the strange curse, and it was with this idea in mind that she repeatedly committed suicide in nightmares.
"His Majesty."
Minister Camelot stood up first and said respectfully, "Everyone is here. Please take a look."
He then respectfully handed the bag containing the documents to the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice opened it, checked it, and confirmed that there were no problems. Then he walked forward and handed it to Isabel.
This is the policy outline for this year and the coming year written by the Lord Chancellor of the Privy Council.
They were all written while Queen Sofia was conscious, and were handed over to her for review and signature. This was because the new monarch had little knowledge of government affairs upon ascending the throne. If she acted arbitrarily based on her own intuition or the advice of her ministers, she could cause errors that would be difficult to correct for years or even decades later.
Therefore, the policy outline for the first two years of the new year is determined by the previous monarch.
Isabel knew this, of course.
But she took the document and said in a cold and serious tone: "Not all, Lord Camelot.
"There is one knight I trust who has not yet arrived. His presence is crucial."
"...So, has he ever pledged allegiance to you?"
The Camelot Minister asked.
Hearing this, Isabel's lips curled up slightly, but quickly closed again.
But even though she kept her face stern and lowered her voice, she could not erase the joy in her voice: "Yes, as early as last night. Sir Moriarty swore allegiance to me. And I granted him the title of knight.
"He was not able to attend the first roundtable meeting I chaired today because he was unwell. But this was with my permission."
Isabel spoke very clearly and slowly, so as not to make a mistake or stutter, which would compromise her dignity.
She had rehearsed these words in front of the mirror, saying all the possible words she would say several times in advance, and finally, with Aiwass's help, she found the smoothest, coldest, most serious voice.
She will try her best to keep every word she says within this tone.
Because of this, she didn't sleep all night last night.
Seeing that the other knights were silent, Isabel lowered her head and read the document.
Most of them maintain the status quo, with only a few changes worth discussing.
After Isabel finished reading the outline of her policy, she handed the document to the Chancellor for archiving.
The first person to speak was the Great Guardian, who was the Minister of Military Affairs.
"Your Majesty," he asked respectfully, "You said you would increase military spending by 5% and implement a round of compulsory conscription for young men over the age of 26... Does this mean we should prepare for war?"
"yes."
Isabel replied calmly.
As soon as these words fell, the entire round table hall became noisy.
"quiet!"
The Grand Guardian, who was also the Knight Commander, suddenly raised his voice, and invisible ripples spread, returning the Round Table Hall to silence.
"I have no problem anymore."
He nodded respectfully and sat down.
After this opening, the new Minister of Trade stood up nervously and uneasily. "Your Majesty, who should we be wary of? Star Antimony or Iris? What are the chances of war? How long do we expect it to end?"
"——Sir Griffith, this is not the question you should be asking."
Isabel replied calmly, her attitude very firm, even hostile.
She always remembered what Aiwass had said - for ministers she could trust, she would nod in agreement to whatever they said and answer any questions directly; but for those who were unsure of their position but questioned her, or who deliberately gave her problems, she would push the topic back and be firm in her attitude, even showing a little hostility.
Then come back and tell Aiwass how they reacted when faced with these topics that were pushed back.
She really didn't understand politics, but Isabel knew a lot about acting.
If she doesn't know how to be a qualified queen yet, then she can "play" a queen for the time being.
The new Trade Minister Griffith noticed Isabel's gaze and was shocked.
What a cold gaze it was—it was like a warning, a light of unquestionable authority. It was as if the person he was facing wasn't the art student Isabel, but her grandmother Sofia.
No, she's even tougher than Sophia!
Those emerald green eyes held the majesty of a lion.
The Minister of Trade suddenly felt guilty... Although this matter did have something to do with him, when he was stared at by that gaze, he felt as if his heart was seen through.
Add to that the Great Guardian's narrowed eyes on him, the recent arrest of the Minister of the Navy, and the direct execution of the Minister of Maritime Affairs the day before yesterday... and he suddenly broke out in a sweat. He swallowed back all the words he had just wanted to say and the suggestions he had drafted in his mind.
——Does she really not have the talent for the path of authority?
This thought occurred to the Trade Minister, who then reluctantly apologized and sat down.
There was a brief silence in the Round Table Hall.
After that, the Lord Chamberlain, Mycroft Hermes, slowly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, is the Palace of Silver and Tin going to recruit a new batch of palace staff?"
"Sir Hermes, this is your decision." Isabel answered without hesitation.
Immediately afterwards, the other ministers also spoke up. Putting aside their previous disdain and thoughts of attacking, they first asked about the most important matters.
"Your Majesty, Queen Sofia previously promised to allocate funds to the Ministry of Agriculture..."
"I'll think about it."
"Your Majesty, the list of students studying abroad proposed by the Theocracy must be subject to your final approval."
"Put it down first, I'll look at it later."
"Your Majesty, the situation is this... The Griffin Division is seriously short of griffins. We haven't been able to provide griffins to frontline inspectors on time for a long time... You see..."
"The Griffin should be enough. You can figure it out yourself."
Keeping all of Aiwass's requests in mind, Isabel handled government affairs in an orderly manner, acting as a tough queen with dignity, meticulousness and consideration.
In the first round of round table meetings attended by the Queen, she was mainly responsible for designating the next major policies, and there were no proposals that required the knights to vote.
As Isabel gradually got into the state and her eyes became sharper, those old knights with ulterior motives looked at each other with strange expressions.
Finally, the first round table meeting ended in an unusually harmonious and peaceful atmosphere.
"My Lords, the Silver Crowned Dragon watches over Avalon."
The young queen's calm speech now sounded like a threat.
None of the difficulties Isabel had imagined happened - but she did not breathe a sigh of relief. Instead, she calmly closed her eyes, held the scepter, and waited for the knights to leave.
——But in reality, she was quickly recalling the content of the meeting and the attitudes of all the ministers. She would then repeat it to Aiwass, and any mistake in her memory could be fatal.
When the knights looked at each other, as if they wanted to say something but couldn't bring themselves to say it...
Only the unnoticed, fat Minister Mycroft Hermes in the corner seemed to have seen through something. He put his hands in his sleeves and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
I feel a little unwell today, so this is a two-in-one chapter.
(End of this chapter)
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