The council chamber filled beyond its usual capacity the next morning, word of the pamphlet scandal having spread through the trade district overnight, drawing crowds of merchants and ordinary citizens eager to witness whatever response their regent intended to offer. Mercer stood before the assembled council and the packed gallery, feeling the weight of every eye upon him, and set aside the prepared statement his advisors had drafted overnight.
"I owe this council, and this city, a complete accounting," he said, his voice carrying clearly through the hushed chamber. "Not a carefully worded defense, but honest acknowledgment of what I actually did, and why."
Priest, seated in his usual advisory position despite his formal retirement, watched with careful attention as Mercer continued.
"
