Nanamo did not learn of the circumstances surrounding her strange slumber until

three days after she had awoken.

It was Papashan who finally unfolded the truth to her. Though the retired
Sultansworn was no longer her bodyguard—a position he had held since the sultana
was a child—he had never quite relinquished the role. At first, Nanamo could do
little more than listen to each shocking revelation in stunned bewilderment. But
when Papashan described the loss of Raubahn's arm, and the accusations leveled
against the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, she was overtaken by fury and demanded that
Lolorito be brought forth to face immediate judgment.
At this, Papashan shook his head. "I suggest you first allow Lord Lolorito to
explain his motives, Your Grace," he said quietly. "Naught good ever comes of
rushing to conclusions."
The following day, Nanamo summoned the foremost members of the Syndicate to the
Fragrant Chamber—Lord Lolorito Nanarito, the purported mastermind of recent events;
Flame General Raubahn Aldynn; and Dewlala Dewla, head of the Order of Nald'thal.
Thus were the Monetarist, Royalist, and neutral factions each represented.
"I take it this intimate little meeting was intended as an opportunity for me to
explain my actions," Lolorito declared airily.
"If there is aught you would say, then say it now," Nanamo responded with as much
calm as she could muster.
"Very well," he sighed, as if indulging a spoiled child, and paused for a moment to
remove his mask. It was considered a sign of great disrespect to wear such
accoutrements to an audience with the sultana, but the Monetarist had always
excused his discourtesy with the claim that his eyes were sensitive to bright
light. Now, however, he stood barefaced without the slightest hint of discomfort.
"Forgive my candor, Your Grace, but it has become painfully obvious that you
underestimate the dangers facing our great nation." The elder Lalafell's golden-
eyed gaze remained steady upon the sultana's face while he delivered his blunt
appraisal.
Raubahn's jaw clenched visibly, but he bowed his head and said nothing. Noting the
Flame General's struggle from the corner of her eye, Nanamo motioned for the
merchant to continue. She would heed Papashan's advice, and listen to Lolorito's
account in its entirety—though she could gladly have strangled the preening little
swine.
Somewhat predictably, Lolorito had come prepared to make his case. He spoke at
length on the threat posed by the new emperor and a united Garlemald, warning that
it was only a matter of time before the Garleans resumed their Eorzean campaign. To
destabilize Ul'dah's government at such a juncture, he contended, was reckless in
the extreme.
"To prevent Your Grace from enacting such a...radical reform, Teledji Adeledji
chose the simple expedient of assassination. I merely slipped the reins of this
foul scheme from his fumbling hands."
Nanamo caught herself clenching her fists as the merchant calmly explained how it
had been necessary to maintain the illusion of her death in order to expose
Teledji's sympathizers and thereby uproot the villain's widespread corruption. The
audacity of the man...
"Had you deigned to consult with the Syndicate on the matter of your abdication,
then perhaps such extreme measures could have been avoided," Lolorito smirked. "At
the very least, Your Grace might have sought the advice of the General before
making such a momentous and far-reaching decision."
Nanamo stiffened, each word a dagger in her breast. Lolorito was quite right. She
had deliberately concealed her plans from Raubahn, knowing he would attempt to
dissuade her from her course.
All she had wanted was a government answerable to the people—a government able to
set aside self-interest and devote the nation's resources to solving Ul'dah's many
problems, not least the ever-worsening refugee crisis. She had harbored hopes that
the General, supported by a populace that had loved him since his days as a
Coliseum champion, would continue to play a leading role in her imagined republic.
Naturally, Lolorito and his fellow merchant princes would purchase influence as
they always had, but the prospect of their wealth lining the pockets of the common
man had seemed to her an acceptable trade.
But what tragedy has come of my clumsy maneuvering? The ensuing chaos had cost her
dearest friend his arm, and all but destroyed the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an
organization to which she and every other Eorzean owed so much. A wave of regret
rose up within her, and for a moment she felt she might drown in her sorrow.
"Of course, the execution of my plan was not without its flaws," Lolorito continued
in an even, unhurried tone. "I did not anticipate the escape of the Scions, nor the
violence that followed their flight from the palace—a most unwelcome complication."
According to Lolorito, accusing the Warrior of Light of murder and implicating the
Scions as accomplices had been Teledji's idea. He speculated that the late
Syndicate member wished to "repay'' the Archons for interfering in the passing of
the Carteneau Reclamation Bill. Lolorito himself purported to bear no ill will
towards the order, but was forced to play along with their capture so that Teledji
would remain ignorant of Ilberd's duplicity. Once the charade had ended, he assured
Nanamo, he had fully intended to clear the false charges and release the Antecedent
and her companions.
Nanamo railed inwardly at the implication that, by refusing to accept wrongful
imprisonment, the Scions had brought retribution upon themselves. With an effort
she hoped did not show upon her features, she held her breath and counted to ten.
"Regrettably, I did not anticipate the extent of Ilberd's insubordination," the
merchant went on, oblivious to Nanamo's rising ire. "You are aware of
our...disagreement with regard to the General's treatment, I believe?"
The sultana nodded mechanically, and replied after a moment, "I cannot well imagine
why Captain Ilberd should desire General Aldynn's death."
Lolorito nodded in turn, and launched into another practiced explanation. He had,
he revealed, initially secured Ilberd's services with the promise of sufficient
weaponry and funding to transform Ala Mhigo's refugees into a well-armed and well-
trained militia. These "resistance fighters" were to be deployed to their former
homeland, where they would hinder the advance of imperial forces.
"As well as delaying the Garlean invasion, this mobilization would have had the
added advantage of thinning the throng of refugees crowding Ul'dah's walls," the
merchant pronounced with no small satisfaction, the beginnings of a smile tugging
at the corner of his mouth.
At a look from the brooding Raubahn, the smile vanished, but Lolorito pressed on,
"Alas, General, your mere existence presented Ilberd with something of a problem."
The Monetarist likened the former gladiator's position in the Syndicate to a beacon
of hope for Ala Mhigo's displaced and downtrodden. Many, he noted with faint
amusement, preferred to cast their gaze towards the light of an unattainable star,
rather than turn and face the grim shadows of their troubled reality.
"Ilberd believed that the General's death was the only cure for this pernicious
romanticism," the merchant continued, turning back to the sultana. "But while there
may have been some truth to that, we needed our one-armed friend alive if we were
to persuade Your Grace to sit the throne once more. And therein lay the root of our
contention."
Had Raubahn been executed...what then? Would I have thrown reason to the desert
winds, and called once more for the sultanate's dissolution? Nanamo suspected that
she would. Damn you, Lolorito.
"Pray accept this token, Your Grace. Mayhap this material example of my support
will remove any lingering doubts as to my loyalties..."
Nanamo accepted a scroll from the merchant's outstretched hand, and unfurled the
fine vellum sheet. She read aloud the contents of the document—a legal contract
that, when signed, would confer ownership of all of Teledji Adeledji's assets, and
half of Lolorito's personal wealth, to the crown.
"Seven hells!" Raubahn roared, his patience finally spent. "You think to bury your
sins under a mountain a coin!?"
A single gesture from the sultana was enough to silence him. He set his jaw, still
scowling, while Lolorito affected a wounded air.
"My dear General, is not the sacrifice of coin the most fitting means for a
merchant to express his contrition? You will note that there are no stipulations or
constraints on how Her Grace might spend this fortune. Build a monument to the
Scions, ease the suffering of the refugees—the possibilities are endless," Lolorito
beamed benignly. "I would humbly suggest, however, that some thought be spared for
the looming imperial invasion."
Having dispensed this final pearl of wisdom, the merchant addressed the sultana
once more. "I thank you for your patient audience, Your Grace. Now, if you will
excuse me, there are pressing matters to which I must attend."
With that, Lolorito replaced his mask and, without waiting for the sultana's leave
to withdraw, strode briskly from the chamber.
And so the meeting ended.
Drained, Nanamo retired to her private quarters to reflect on the merchant's words.
I cannot forgive the man his methods, she mused, but mine own scheme is no less
deserving of censure. Her shortsighted resolve had invited bloodshed and turmoil,
and she knew not how she might atone for her wrongdoing. For his part, Lolorito had
surrendered a princely share of his riches—which, as a merchant, was an act akin to
relinquishing his own flesh and blood. But what could she, as sultana, do to repay
the debt she had accrued?
"Fetch General Aldynn!"
Raubahn arrived at her chambers soon after, escorted by Nanamo's new lady-in-
waiting, and she handed him the contract without a word. When the General saw the
sultana's flowing signature appended to the document, his brow knit in
consternation.
"I despise that man," she declared, flatly.
"As do I," came the reply.
"And yet, I despise myself even more. I failed to confide in my most trusted
advisor and blithely invited open rebellion within the Syndicate. My callow
ambition has visited pain and suffering upon those who deserve it least, and shown
me to be the greatest fool of all!"
At this, Raubahn could only bow his head.
"Lolorito is a callous, calculating villain, driven only by greed," Nanamo grated.
"But in spite of this, I cannot ignore his skill as a politician nor the deeds he
has performed in service to Ul'dah."
Nanamo closed her eyes as warring emotions threatened to engulf her once more. But
she held firm to her emerging purpose, and looked up to find Raubahn gazing upon
her with fatherly concern.
"Summon the war council, General," she commanded in a clear, strong voice. "We must
discuss how Ishgard may be reintegrated into the Eorzean Alliance. And then we
shall explore our strategy for opposing the inevitable advance of the Empire."
Nanamo took a deep breath, and fixed Raubahn with a resolute stare. "I will be
intimidated by Lolorito and his ilk no longer. No matter her personal feelings, a
sultana must make use of every resource at her disposal...for coin and country."
She had ascended the throne at the age of five and sworn an oath at her coronation—
empty words that she had memorized but not understood. The oath she swore now,
however—though it better befitted a soldier than a sultana—resonated through her
entire being.
"For coin and country," Raubahn echoed in his deep rumble.
Then the one-armed general smiled, and Nanamo could not help but do the same.
Ul'dah was a sultanate once more.