Shooting Star

[Keller]

He smiled, that couldn't have meant anything good for Elizabeth. Especially with how low she'd set the bar for his ability to understand procedure and national regulations. Contrary to this belief, Keller was actually quite fond of studying the systems of Government that each House relied upon, and all the small intricacies therein. "As far as your office is concerned, as Governor General of Exeter you have a wide range of executive powers to rely on. Chief among them being naturalization of foreigners, thereby rendering unto them rights as subjects as per law. I'm sure your Government has already done this for those of the Zoner population who accepted Bretonian rule. Am I wrong?" Though he primarily kept Elizabeth in view, he had also shot Redmond a brief glance as if to invite correction from either of them if what he'd said truly was incorrect. He was well versed enough in colonial governance to make his point with confidence, and he also felt vaguely certain that Elizabeth would not appreciate him showing anything in the way of an intellect.

He had deliberately put off answering her question until he had made his own point, it was more convenient to do so otherwise he might have lost the trail of thought and entirely forgot why he intended to recollect something he'd studied years prior. And this wasn't even accounting for the fact that Elizabeth might have tried to cut him off and forcibly conclude the matter if she knew what he was going to say. "Yes, if I were to act as Selim's field marshal I would have all the power necessary to whip the militia into whatever shape I saw best, but Selim and I have worked together before. And we are vastly different people with perhaps more contrary views than agreements. I don't believe a head of state and the head of the military disagreeing on matters of policy is something seen as desirable in the early stages of governmental formation." If he had no knowledge of any such alternative policy, he was well convinced that Elizabeth would have never informed him of it in the moment, given her intense disdain of course.