Few days later, Lord called everyone into the meeting hall for a couple of announcements. Lord Mano looked around the clan"s meeting hall, all his wives as well as his children were present."I"ve gather you all here because the Clans Convention is about to commence. I will be gone for six days, at the least. I"m placing Lady Jaelah in charge of the household until I get back."
Whenever he would leave for the convention, something always happens.
One year during the six days he was away. One of his wives decided to have a ladies tea party. Everything was fine until another one of his wives also decided to have a brunch party on the same day. Both wives didn"t tell the other. With madams showing up for both sides things started to get a little hectic.
One of the ladies from the tea party walking to use the restroom, happen to over hear women from the brunch party talking about her. Not one to take gossip about her lightly she confronted those women. Chaos ensued, things were broken, and words were said. When he returned he was lucky to have a house to come back to. Since then, he has been ever weary of leaving for long periods at a time.
Lady Jaelah frowned at this arrangement. She has always been the one to go with Mano during these Clans Conventions. Meeting the other ladies and gentlemen of the high cla.s.s was honor she looked forward to. The only time she wasn"t able to go was when she was pregnant with their children, or feeling ill.
Everyone knew the Clans Conventions wasn"t just for the clan heads, they were also for the spouses to make connections. The reason she"s been able to push Kamryn and Lulu so far, is because of the connections she made with other households.
Last year she didn"t get to go because little Lady Thalia wined to Mano about the unfairness. Now one of Thalia"s sons is a councilor to the courts and the other one is one of the youngest generals in the army.
Lady Jaelah will never admit that Lady Thalia"s sons just might be gifted enough to hold those positions.
"With the children star-"
"Mano No!..." Lady Jaelah interruption caused the whole meeting hall to fall silent. Seeing that she let her emotions get the best of her Jaelah try to remedy the situaition.
"Excuse me?..." Mano knew what caused Jaelah to shout, but that doesn"t mean she can undermine him. Especially in front of the family.
"I mean I can"t possibly be the one to care for the household since I will be going with you to the Clans Conventions,...did you forget?"
Jaelah words were delivered smoothly and with a soft laughter, but held a hint of authority. Like she was telling Mano she was going to the Clans Conventions, not asking.
"You are not going this year." Mano"s retort was short, domineering and straight to the point.
Some of the wives gathered in the room enjoyed seeing Jaelah pushed down two pegs.
Cause she was the first wife, Jaelah forever thought she was better than the others. Looking over the fact that in their society, the head of the clan can have as many spouses as they wanted; but all the spouses would hold the same status in the family household. A wife was a wife, whether she is first or last.
"Mano!....You have to take me, there is no other option! You didn"t take me last time...." Pointing in Lady Thalia"s direction. While the other members of the family were shock and relis.h.i.+ng the show Jaelah was putting on. ".....now you think to once again replace my spot with another!..." Jaelah stood up at this point looking around the room at the other wives. Turning back towards Mano, " I REFUSE! I AM GOIN-"
*BOOM*
Lord Mano released a third of his power into the meeting hall, directing the majority of it straight towards Lady Jaelah. Her knees buckled beneath her. Her face broke out in sweat and tears, her bones felt like they were disintegrating into dust.
The members of the family in the meeting hall felt the weight of Mano"s oppression. Though it was only a fourth of what Jaelah was feeling it still caused them shortness of breath. The younger ones like Mika, could barely hang on.
"There"s always one person who ruins it for everybody." Mika though as she was about to pa.s.s out.
"Ma...Man...Ma..Mano...I sorr...sorry. I...I did..didn""
"Still won"t shut that mouth of yours." Mano lifts he head that was resting on his hand, to look at the surrounding hall.
"This is not your old family"s home. This is the Amara clan. My Amara clan. I am head of clan here, not you." Turning his gaze back to Lady Jaelah direction.
"I...kno..know."
"Oh...you know and still think the question me." Mano let loose a little more of his power towards Jaelah. At this point Jaelah was laying flat on the meeting hall"s floor, everyone else were clutching their chest.
"I give you the respect you deserve as my spouse, just like I do all my other wives.....but just because I let somethings slide, does not mean you are HEAD OF THE AMARA CLAN!..."
In that short shout, Mano released the rest of his powers, like a whip it slashed at their bodies before withdrawing it away.
"I, and only myself will decide who will be a successor. Who will accompany me to the Convention. Is. That. Clear. To Everyone." Mano looked around the room, to a chorus of "yeses" and nodding.
Mano walked to the doors of the meeting hall, "Good, meeting adjure"