The Royal Council

[The Celtic Viking]

Hilarion stands up.

"This is a very important issue, one so big that I'm not even sure I can speak for Sarpedon here. However, he did choose me as his representative, and I feel I must make my opinion heard, I will have to take the risk and do so anyway. May I suffer the consequences justice demands."

Hilarion coughs.

"I feel that Lykikos is making a good case here. If it was any other city than Alexandreia, there would be no problem, but as the Council did vote against attacking it, the whole thing changes." Hilarion now throws a look at Mardakou. "Yes, the edict turned down did call for a sacking of it, but there was no separate edict for taking the city, so doing that can be seen as included in the proposal.

If I have understood things correctly as well, we, the Council, as well as the Chancellor, lord Sarpedon, can decide not to back you on this campaign. I will not take the liberty and say that Sarpedon will or won't - that is definitely out of my authority, and I will have a messenger sent to him about this should he be forced to take a side - but you have to concider this carefully as well. If enough of the strategoi voice their trouble with this campaign, perhaps calling for an emergency session in which this can be decided properly may be a good idea."

With that said, Hilarion sits down again, looking around, trying to read the other people's minds from their facial expressions.