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[Thrax]

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Standing before a large crowd (most of the citizens were present) in the town square in Yew, Felucca, Thrax addressed supporters and opponents alike. The day was warm and sunny, and was not disturbed by the sound of factional fighting.

"Friends and Citizens!

I have been in consultation with his Majesty, King Sid, and the discussions have been fruitful. I know your minds are divided; some of you remain loyal to the Crown and oppose the Commonwealth. Some of you are just the opposite. There is tension among us. It is palpable. I can see it in your faces. Thus have I sought to remedy things---to reach a compromise that shall prove favorable to all.

But I cannot take credit for this. His Majesty sought it and I, as interim Prime Minister, have agreed. I will present several proposals to him that I have called the 'Pact of Concord.' It is intended to harmonize and stabilize relations between the Crown and the Commonwealth. The proposals are as follows:

I. The Commonwealth makes no claims to lands or territories; it is only a reflection of the will of the people of Yew, Felucca.

II. The Commonwealth recognizes and accepts the sovereignty of the King of Yew, Sid, and pledges its support of the Crown inasmuch as the King and Crown recognizes the right of the Commonwealth to exist and to regulate day to day operations of the town and its precincts. This is tantamount to a pledge of allegiance or an oath of fealty.

III. The Commonwealth shall not be required to pledge allegiance to any governmental body or organization other than the King, nor shall it ever seek to, but shall remain neutral and aloof from any foreign influences and directives.

IV. The Commonwealth shall be represented at His Majesty's court by the Prime Minister who shall perform as direct liaison between the Crown and the Parliament of the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister shall have diplomatic immunity, being removed only by Commonwealth procedure and not by an arbitrary dictate of the Crown.

V. The Commonwealth shall make no trade agreements, treaties, nor engage in political, economic, or territorial dialogue with foreign entities separate or apart from direct consultation with, and permission of, the Crown.

VI. The Commonwealth shall assist the Crown in any military operations that may be necessary for the defense of Yew. Commonwealth officers and militia shall subordinate themselves to all military officers of the Crown in said operations.

VII. The Commonwealth shall confer to the Crown a reasonable percentage of tax monies levied to aid in finance for any military operations deemed necessary for the defense of Yew.

VIII. The Commonwealth shall not be required to mobilize nor provide troops, or quarter them; funds, supplies, nor any such thing, for military operations of the Crown that have no direct bearing on the defense of Yew, without Parliamentary approval. Volunteers, however, may be recruited and serve in the forces of the Crown for such ventures.

He paused a moment to let the words sink in. "As you can see, his Majesty gets most of what he wants---the undisputed claim of the land as his territorial possession. We get most of what we want---the right to determine in large measure how we want to be governed. We shall have a say in our own affairs."

"Before you protest this compromise, know this---Yew, Felucca, under Commonwealth governance alone, has no army. Should the King choose, though I believe he would not, he could allow us to be raided and plundered by any foreign and hostile entity that desired. The vanquish of Felucca would continue unabated. The Orcs, for example, should they decide to attack Yew in violation of the treaty, would force us once more to choose to fight and die, or flee our homes and lands."

"In short, citizens, we *need* the King. He *does* care for Yew; he has bled for it in the past. We can, and should, therefore, honor him while insisting that we have a voice in our own affairs. This he has tacitly agreed to do. I strongly urge you to accept the pact and give him full allegiance as before, though with the knowledge, hope, and assurance that he will hear us and, where goals do not conflict, honor our wishes."

There were voices of support and those of skepticism, criticism, and mild protest, but there was a general consensus of the terms taken by a show of hands in support.

"I thank you for trusting me in this. I shall not fail you. Your voices will be represented. I shall go before the King to discuss these proposals. Pray that he shall agree to them, and be reasonable in his own terms, should he not entirely, so that our beloved town and home may be fully and finally united once more, and that all wounds may be healed."

To sustained and heartfelt applause, Thrax stepped down from the podium and mingled with the crowd, friends and foes alike.