Enough notice allowed the senators to fill the large Senate room. Some balconies were filled with reluctant people while others had no idea what was going on.

Aeris stared down into the abyssal chamber, her memories flashing back to when her mother would always tell her how the building was built over a volcano and how peculiar the history of this building was.

Her smile was interrupted by the entrance of Elderlore. A thunderous thud silenced the chatter on the balconies—save a few whispers continuing in their gossip. Elderlore raised his arms as if he was going to bless everyone.

"This senate is gathered here today because of a pressing matter," his wise voice echoed. "Our people have not been given the care we promised before the armistice! And now they suffer," Aeris began to nod her head like listening to the rhythm of a heartbeat, agreeing to everything Elderlore had said, which were her words when the proposition was brought up.

All of the civilians outside of the kingdom have been forgotten about. Their lives were being led by survival and instincts, not the guidance of their just system. This has turned the kingdom into a melting pot of thievery, smuggling, and any other underground dealings. These crime rates have skyrocketed since the armistice—doing more harm than good. The people weren't ready to become independent, fracturing the system, and the Senate just let it fall through the cracks.

Now all the aristocrats and nobles blame the working class for all their shortcomings, keeping all of their shares and giving away when the facade requires them to. Everyone was a pawn in their game. But Aeris can no longer stand by as innocent lives have to put themselves in danger just to survive.

"This proposal was brought to us by one of our newest senate members, Senator Aeris Veil!" Elderlore finished.

It was evident that the Senate didn't like the proposal, seeing how none of it would be beneficial to them or their supporters. Their silence only proving her right.

"Has the title gone to your head?" one shouted.

"This has got to be a joke!" Shouted another.

"I assure you that this is a long-term patch to the development of these people." Aeris rebutted. "If this doesn't get fixed, we will live long enough to see the downfall of this kingdom—done in by greed and blind stupidity."

Her response warranted animosity, but that's what she hoped—and she was right.

"How dare you blame the Senate! We are here for the people, for this kingdom. And you say greed is the bane of it?" Senator Keiff responded, along with other senators who shared the same sentiment.

"Senator Keiff, what have you proposed to help this kingdom's current regression? What was your solution?" Aeris saw him bite his tongue. "You have built multiple estates to rent out, have you not? Were those for the workers who do the labor so your hands don't get dirty? Or are they for friends and mistresses?

Senator Tabor, you've built another church that funnels money back to you for passive income—that's no secret to anyone with how you act and flaunt your swagger to everyone.

Are there any other senators that need a refresher of their selfish acts? Let me tell you, the list is long, and it's not who you'd expect. The poor get poorer. And the crimes don't stop when they hit rock bottom; they amplify. The people have become desperate. They don't live anymore; they survive."

"Senator Veil is right!" A familiar voice chimed in. "We mustn't let these acts go unnoticed no matter how beneficial it is to us." It was Senator Fogan, her mother's greatest ally when it came to politics. "We came into these positions of power to help the people, not deprive them of their worth and their rights. If that is all that you're here for—the money, the power—then you have mistaken this job for something else."

The chamber was quiet, the most quiet that Aeris has ever experienced.

Everyone was listening.

Every word a possible worry, an exploit they cannot withstand if it were brought to light. Senator Keiff and Senator Tabor were already seen being removed from their balcony—along with their title and rank in society. But what could all of them be hiding? Most of the senators, Aeris knew, had skeletons in their closets. Maybe they were once great, with the people's interests in their hearts. But no more. Something has tainted their ideals, twisting their minds to turn on the people. Aeris needs to know why.

"Your proposal, Senator Veil. Make it clear for everyone to understand." Elderlore asked of her.

Aeris cleared her throat before she spoke. "My proposal allows an external unit to police the Senate, to follow rules and guidelines that benefit the people and this kingdom, putting yourselves last as it should have always been. We must put our selfishness aside and join together to create a checks-and-balances system."

"And who do you have in mind for this strenuous new task?" asked Elderlore.

Aeris paused before blurting an answer. Names surfaced in her head, but she needed someone strong, someone she could trust to get the job done. Her thumb made its way back to her lips, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts per second. Who could bear this burden? Her mind made a sudden stop—she was overthinking it—the answer was right beside her.

"We need someone who can not only work for the people but with them as well. We all know a senator who sticks his neck out for them; we actively see him serving his community. My mother trusted him, and so will I. I nominate Senator Fogan!"

She looked at the balcony beside her, and he nodded, approving of her decision. Aeris could see the spark of resolve in his eyes.

The chamber began to talk loudly amongst themselves, their discordance feeding off one another. Soon their cadence became the only talk that could be heard.

"An external unit?" A senator scoffed, their question cutting through the noise. "That's a waste of time. Why not just have ourselves do the job? We don't need a third party to babysit us—we're not children!"

The chamber began to whisper once again, but not in Aeris' favor. Many of them still have their doubts about her despite how much they agree with her proposal. This was the impediment of any new senator.

"Need I remind you that it is because you have been left to your own devices that we're in this predicament in the first place?" Aeris' solemn reply clawed at their resolve to further their arguments. "Let me make this clear. It was all of your doing that brought this to our doorstep. And now I'm here to clean it up."