A simple and honest transformation came over Faith as she stepped away from Padraig, having kissed him on the cheek and whispered, in response to his words,
"I believe you to oblige, Professor." she said with a smile. But then, much more seriously,
"be yourself and you will be magnificent." No doubting it in her mind, so she simply moved to her seat, confidently. The woman, Lavana, she had met a few times now and as she walked past her, she looked at her very calmly, with ever such a slight smile.
"Please, there is no need. At least some of us are here to do the right thing, the best we can." was all she said, but she met the woman's gaze and smiled slightly. She wasn't intimidated or arrogant, she simply was where she was and that was that. In truth, Padraig knew just how much anxiety joining the Council had given Faith. She had no wish to be in the public eye, no wish to speak in groups. But Faith had a fundamental, over riding belief that in the battle between good and evil, all that good had to do in order to allow evil to win was to do nothing.
She would not, he knew, do nothing.
So, she took her seat and when her gaze landed on Amaris, Faith smiled a genuine expression of pleasure.
"It's good to see you," she whispered and touched Amaris' arm gently.
"It's been too long." But they had no more time than that, before Kura arrived and Faith looked at her friend with a calm gaze. Cally, the ghostly form behind her, too, Faith nodded to. She didn't fuss about Kura, she knew better than to think that Kura would do anything other than hate that. Truly, hate it. So she smiled to her friend and she nodded her head whilst wondering what she could do. She listened to Kura speak and then, to those who answered her. Faith did what she always did, she waited her turn. And then she spoke.
"There are two situations here. Both of them constitute an emergency and with all due respect to all concerned, I believe that we are able to discuss both. Especially," she added,
"since one is more easily dealt with. Isonomia, the faction behind Cally's Restaurant and the charity work we do, offers its services unequivocally to the Council for the relief effort. In the coming trials, the first thing we must do is provide medical care, shelter and food to those who need it most. We will put ten thousand gold, workers and resources to this task and ask that the council match those funds and provide the same. It is not enough, but it is a good start." She looked at them all, each one and there was a slight crease on her forehead which Padraig would recognise. She was irritated.
"Because the people of Scalvoris must be cared for. All of them. By all of us." She looked at the Albarech and said, simply.
"Ten thousand gold from Isonomia, ten thousand from the Council. In my role as Councillor for Welfare, I will oversee and organise the efforts to the best of my ability." She would exhaust herself and take up every moment, she meant, but she could not allow people to die because it was inconvenient to her to help.
Motioning to Kura, then, she added,
"My esteemed colleague is absolutely correct in that we must look into what happened, that investigation has begun, I believe, but it is not the remit of this meeting. A securing of aid and minimising the deaths due to a lack of basic facilities, allowing infection and hunger to come in will be our first priority. The investigation of what happened, can wait until we have cared for the living and seen to our dead." Yes, she was definitely ticked.
Then, she turned to the next matter at hand. Faith was an incredibly disciplined woman and as much as her voice was usually quiet, somehow here her tone cut through and she spoke, clearly. A professor at the university of some experience, now, she was used to addressing crowds and running meetings with her business and charities. She had no fear for this any more and in that moment she wondered just when that had happened.
"I have met Cassander, King of Rynmere. Twice." She had come from Rynmere, after all. This was not a secret.
"And he is not a stupid man. Nor is he someone who is afraid to take risks. However," she said and she turned to James Witchbane.
"To deny the Immortals exist, to call religion ignorance is as foolish as denying the laws of physics. It is a most unscientific viewpoint to deride religion when our gods walk the earth and sire children, leave their marks upon mortals, such as the marks I bear. Besides, Rynmere has a different religion, not that of the Immortals. This is not likely to be due to religion." Her gaze was calm, stoic. She would see his academic credentials and raise him twenty, that gaze said and she was a very religious woman. Ignorance indeed.
Listening to the others then, she considered. Once they had spoken, she had to agree with some, but not all of what they said.
"We have to send a delegation, but we have to consider carefully what Andaris is like. I lived there, as did my husband. If we send a mercenary company with our delegation, whoever they are, then we will be showing a weakness we have no need to show." That was absolutely correct in her mind.
"Cassander responds to personal, not impersonal. When there was a member of nobility trying to usurp him, he hid among them in order to find out who the man was." Faith resisted the urge to mention that he'd held her hand. She didn't think Padraig would like it, and besides, she might have mentioned it a few times.
"I suggest we send a small delegation who are able to look after themselves." She glanced at Kura, thinking that her friend would be the ideal, but not wanting to suggest it, just in case.
"And also, a delegation to Viden, to speak with Yvithia, if needs be, about the nature of these portal stones." She didn't look at Padraig, but she knew that he was the best person to go. After all, the mark on his face told that he was one of Yvithia's chosen, a physicist and he had studied there.
"That is about finding out as much information as we can in order to know what our options are, should diplomacy fail." Pursing her lips slightly, she made a final point.
"But I believe that Cassander can be spoken to, reasoned with. So too, the Empress, Emerson Sands. A small, but impressive, diplomatic force there, a delegation to Viden and a relief effort here so that, whatever happens with Rynmere, our people are looked after. That is my suggestion." Looking at the Alberech, Faith raised an eyebrow and gave a slight smile.