It was time to begin making changes.

To that end, Keritanima stood on her dais, commanding everyone to rise. The satchel of papers stood beside her throne, guarded carefully by Azakar, and Jervis and Miranda stood behind her calmly. Both of them now fully knew what she had planned. It nearly gave Jervis a stroke, but in the end, he had to agree that what she was doing was probably better for Wikuna than the status quo. The court was populated with the rulers of the noble houses, but also in attendance was the mayor of Wikuna and many commoner individuals of the city with rank, influence, and learning. They needed to be here to understand what was about to happen, to explain things to those Wikuni not as well versed in political science, and to begin making the preparations to start shifting to the new order of things.

"I'm sure all of you have an idea of what we're doing here," she began. "You know that I'm nothing like what you expected, and half of you are probably wondering why you ever backed me in the first place. Well, be assured that you're going to hate me when you leave here today. Azakar, the satchel," she ordered, turning to the large human. He handed her the leather bag, and she opened it and withdrew a single piece of parchment.

"Before we begin with the very wild material, I have a few decrees. Firstly, and most importantly, the Noble exemption against taxation is hereby repealed. Nobles will have to pay their fair share of tax to support the kingdom, just as the common man does."

That caused one side of the room to go up in flames. There was a great deal of shouting and anger, and not a few swords were partially drawn. But the Vendari lining the walls raised their weapons and moved from their positions, instantly quelling the outburst. "We are exempt from tax because we are subject to the crown!" one noble shouted. "Our tax is paid with the men we have to provide to you during times of war!"

"I don't see us in any wars at the moment, Baron," Keritanima said calmly. "A great deal of the hostility that exists in the common population is based in the fact that the nobility dominates trade, because they don't have to pay taxes. It prevents the common man from making something of himself and keeps him in his place, when he would be much happier and much more productive if he were given the chance of pursuing his dreams. Just go walk along the docks, my noblility, and count the ships. You'll find that nearly all of them are owned by noble houses. Then go for a walk in the common sections of the city, and see the starving children, the worn shacks that so many of our people have to live in. All the wealth we bring in is held by an elite few, whom I can't have help pay for running this kingdom. That changes, effective right now. From this day forth, all citizens of Wikuna, even me, must pay the same taxes. In return for that, the requirement of providing arms and soldiers to fight for the crown is hereby waived. So you have no reason now to object to being taxed," she said flintily to the gathered people.

"Things here in our homeland have become fractured, my people," she said. "There's a rift between the nobility and the common population, a rift that will cause a violent revolution if we don't do something about it. And it's about time that all of you realized that this kingdom isn't here simply to make you rich and provide you with cheap labor to make you richer. The nobility has to get more in touch with the needs and the desires of the people who make up this kingdom, the common man and woman. If all of you don't recall, the crown and the nobility is here to provide for the people, not to use the people for its own ends! All of you have become blinded by your greed to the real needs and issues that confront our kingdom. You don't see the people starving in the streets because you're too busy counting your coins. You don't hear their cries for help because you're too busy plotting to gain even more power and wealth. Well, I have some very bad news for you. All that is going to stop, and it's going to stop now." She opened the satchel and withdrew a single parchment, then held it up for them to see.

"This is our new constitution," she declared loudly. "I've made some copies so you can read it and understand where it goes. For a few thousand years now, the power in Wikuna has rested in the throne and in the nobility. This constitution is going to change that order significantly. The crown and the nobility will still hold some power, but they will have to share it with the common population."

That created an instant storm of grumbling, gasps, and not a few shouts from the assembled nobility, but the looming threat of the Vendari prevented another outburst. "I did not give anyone permission to speak!" Keritanima boomed, making everyone quiet down. "This kingdom has suffered under the oppressive rule of my family for nearly five hundred years, and we've become less than we could be because of it. This constitution," she said, holding it out, "will create a new system where the crown will share power with a parliament, a congress of individuals consisting of both nobles and commoners. The crown will surrender some power to this parliament, and the parliament will have the ability to override the crown when necessary. This new system will require any new law to pass through parliament, where both the nobles and the commoners have to agree to its merit, and then it comes to me for final approval. This system will give everyone, commoner, noble, and monarch alike, an equal say in what laws govern our nation. The injustice that exists now will end, because the common man will now have the power to prevent or strike down a law that creates that injustice, or pass a new law that corrects it."

That created dead silence. The concept of a shared power system was totally alien to noble and commoner alike. "The term you're looking for is a Republic," she said with a gentle smile. "I've also taken the liberty of creating a Charter of Rights, a document of law outlining the basic rights possessed by all individuals, and a set of declarations to protect all Wikuni equally under the law. It will also create a standard of justice that will be applicable to everyone, even me, so that no one person may be held above another in the eyes of the law. This consitution will supersede all decrees of law that would conflict with them, but it will carry over those points of law that don't conflict with the constitution. Of course, Parliament can vote to repeal those decrees, once it's formed and established."

"Begging her Majesty's pardon, but how will this parliament work?" the mayor of Wikuna asked curiously.

"Simple, goodman," she smiled. "There will be two houses of Parliament. The House of Lords, and the House of Commons. The noble houses will send two nobles to the House of Lords to represent their houses, and commoners will be elected by the population to serve in the House of Commons. All points of law will pass through Parliament, first through the House of Commons, then through the House of Lords. If both houses vote to pass this point of law, it's sent to me, where I have final authority to approve or disapprove the law. If I approve it, it is law. If I disapprove it, it's sent back to the Parliament, who will vote on it again. If a two thirds majority of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords vote to override my disapproval, then it becomes law whether I want it to or not. Parliament will have some other powers, and the crown will have some other powers. Overseeing both of these branches of government will be the Supreme Barristry, which will have the power to cancel any law or action made by either the Queen or Parliament that they deem is outside the bounds of the constitution. Simply put, we can't do anything we're not allowed to do, because someone will be there to make sure we're doing our jobs right." She swept a tendril of hair out of her face. "These are broad generalities, of course. The specifics of it are spelled out in the constitution. What it does, however, is makes sure that nobody can run roughshod over the nation. Not me, not the nobility, not anyone."