Chapter 14 - New Shores, New Lions
The colonial expedition had been dispatched by Francesca a few months ago. Finally, she received word back from a few men left on a damaged ship. The Athenian Army had engaged natives in the lands to the west, which did exist! The Blue Lion had been raised, but the soldiers were not willing to become colonists. Francesca understood this, and began gathering those in her kingdom who wanted land, and would be willing to go to a whole new world with violent natives and pagan infidels to get it in their hands.
It was almost a year later when word reached Athens that a colony, New Achaea, had been founded. It was on the coast of the strange new land, and only held a few hundred people. The foundation of it was a dangerous and risky venture, but Francesca was sure that it would be the beginnings of a great empire that would stand the test of time. As she looked at the map, though, she couldn't help but sigh. Athens had the potential to be so great, but the Queen alone couldn't forge a powerful nation.
In that time, Dimosthenes had returned home, and immediately began reconstructing the ancient monuments of Athens. Appealing to the Greeks in the city, he quickly gained a large following. Theodoros, worried, addressed him about it at the council meeting that night. The blazing hot room, steaming in the temperature of the Greek summer, only made him seem more disheveled, and punctuated his delivery more than usual. He was growing old, and could feel his body grow sore from just a few minutes of standing. Suppressing the need to sit down, he forced through. "Dimosthenes, what's the meaning of this.. populist movement you carry on about? Stick to the burghers, that's where you belong!" he said. Francesco II had taught him that populists were dangerous creatures. Dimosthenes' expansion of the kingdom was valuable, and Theodoros hoped he wouldn't have to be exiled.
"Why do we have this council Theodoros? To support the nobles who already have power? No! To support the burghers, who already have great wealth? No! We have this council to be the voice of the common man! The only thing stopping Athens from being a glorious nation, a bastion of civilization and civilian happiness, is that.. that... accursed woman!" Dimosthenes shouted. It was clear to everyone in the room that the man meant Francesca.
Moving around the table slowly, Theodoros began glaring at Dimosthenes as he approached him. After he was only a few feet away, he jumped at the man, fist pulled back and ready for the punch. Then, he felt two strong hands hold him back. His leap had stopped, and a middle aged councilor who had saved Theodoros those many years ago was now standing. Adeipho. "Do not defile council, Theodoros. You are our savior. Keep your life," he whispered into his friend's ear. Grunting with reluctance, the councilor relaxed and began to withdraw. Before he walked back to his chair, though, he directed a quiet comment to the colonizer. "Do not disrespect your Queen,"
Though a radical ideal had been put down that day, it firmly planted something inside the minds of the Athenian council. What was the institution there for? Was the Queen necessary? She was just barring Athens' quest for glory. It was an ideal that would come back to bite them, and an ideal that would make Athens the country it would become.
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OOC: We're getting to the good stuff! Also, I kinda scrapped that idea about having people choose my elected official. Too little happens in the election timeframe. Half my updates would just be elections.