“That’s all well and good, Lord Jordy, but in the now you have no home, you have no militia, and you are but one of twenty-seven names on that list.” Cassius’s gaze swept the front of the assembly. “I want a surrender signed by all of you, as well as every man on that list, with every member of your armies denouncing their lords and swearing fealty to me, and then I will accept capitulation.”

“And after that we face Slán Bailey for life, and for our sons…what?” Another man from the front asked. “You’ve obliterated my home. Taken my land. I leave him nothing. That keep your dragons eradicated had been in my family for twelve generations.”

“Well, then I hope your son has acquired some skill, or does so in future, so he can feed himself,” Cassius replied.

“Is it that difficult to consider instituting your changes in a lengthier manner to allow all, gentry and laborer alike, to become used to one in order to be better prepared for the next?” another man asked.

“This is wise advice,” Cassius relented, to a feeling of not a small amount of relief sweeping from the front of the room.

Sadly for them, Cassius hadn’t finished speaking.

“The issue I have with it is twofold, for I have gentry who are not at odds with this and have offered coin to the crown to keep their holdings as well as extended all manner of employment to their vassals, for which they will now pay them a fair wage. They do understand that their lives will change, but they’re bloody fucking wealthy, couldn’t eat through the coin they have in five generations, unless they suffer grave amounts of stupidity, and are keen for the challenge in discovering different ways to keep their coffers topped up.”

When no one had a response to this, Cassius carried on.

“Secondly, for laborer or merchant, soldier or sailor, nothing changes. Laborers will simply keep the coin they earn from their endeavors, rather than paying much of it to a lord who owns the land they work who thinks it’s their due. So, really, it is a small minority of my citizenry who has to grow accustomed to a new way of doing things. And as what I ask is not very difficult to come to grips with, I don’t see any reason to draw it out.”

“We are simply asking for the concession of keeping our own bloody holdings and homes,” another man spat. “And frankly, this is a beyond a fair concession to request.”