To the One Who Weaves Webs,
Being of the High Monsoon, having taken the guise of Councilman Quincy Glover, and that of the scholar Petrus—
I, Meriel Gwyneth Noctis, daughter of Ser Bedivere “The Bright” and Lady Anwen, issue this challenge in open debate. If you would claim fairness, then let it be tested where cunning alone will not shield you. Let us remind you of the rule of three—what is given, what is taken, and what is owed. In your web of deceit, you have forsaken the third, the accountability owed to the Spire, while deftly playing the first two to your advantage.
I challenge the semantics by which the Fey claim standing in the Spire, yet shirk the responsibilities of its citizens. You weave words to suit your convenience—present when it grants you favor, absent when it demands accountability. If the Spire is bound by law, then so too must you be, or else you are not of it. You cannot be both citizen and outsider as it pleases you. This contradiction stands, and I intend to unravel it.
Thus, I set forth these terms:
- Our words alone shall decide the victor—no enchantments, no shifting of meaning beyond what is spoken.
- A neutral party shall oversee, to ensure no trickery twists the outcome.
- The matter in question will be agreed upon before witnesses: Are the Fey true citizens of the Spire, or are they merely guests who play at belonging when it suits them?
If you are victorious, I will honor a boon within reason. If I win, you will do the same.
- It must not claim my will, my mind, my name, my memories, or my soul.
- It shall not extend beyond what is due in equal measure. As I would not ask for your essence, you shall not ask for mine.
- It must be bound to the terms agreed before witnesses, with no loopholes, no shifting of definitions after the fact.
- It must be possible for the one who grants it to fulfill—no demands for the impossible, no twisting of fate beyond one’s means.
If you refuse, let it be known that even the Fey hesitate when met with terms beyond their own making. If you accept, meet me in earnest, and we shall see whose words truly hold power.
Signed,
Councilwoman Meriel Gwyneth Noctis
