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sandry

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There's a young girl sitting in Milliways with a steaming mug of tea in her hands. With summer wearing on in Emelan, Milliways is a bit chilly by comparison. Enough to make her glad of the extra layers of black cambric she's wearing this evening, and even of the black veil covering her hair.

Sandry has spent the day visiting her great uncle at his citadel in Summersea. It's for this reason that she's wearing her fine mourning instead of a more comfortable dress. Duke Vedris is not the sort of man to fuss at her over her clothes, but Sandry knows that he appreciates his niece being turned out properly.

It had been a very nice visit, and Sandry looks happier than a child clad all in black should rightly look.

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"Why?"

People--even the ones most devoted to equality--need someone to follow.

"They're afraid, they're worried, some of them are still angry. Many of the Council are former priests, and after everything that happened, the people may not trust us."

He shrugs. "But on the other hand... all that most of our people know how to do is follow. They have been sheltered and protected all their lives, kept away from anything troubling or unjoyful. They'd probably follow anybody who played the part of a leader... which isn't good."

"Only if you're a bad leader."

This seems a reasonable enough line of thought to Sandry.

"But they need to be able to do things for themselves. We all do. What good is it if everyone just does what they're told, because they're told to do it? Wouldn't it be better if they thought about it, and then did it because it's the right thing to do?"

He shakes his head. "We had dishonest leaders for hundreds of years. We need to learn from that, and not let it happen again. I know the people on the Council are good, but that's now. What about ten years from now?"

Sandry does not know the answers to all these questions. She's quite young after all, and sheltered herself in many ways.

But that does not stop her from taking a stab at it.

"Then you'll learn. And you'll help them learn, if you're a leader."

"Maybe that's why you're here."

"Most of what I've seen here, we don't have at home. But I've learned so much already--some good things, some troubling. Hopefully it'll be enough to keep things from going very wrong, back home."

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