I think there are two problems with the idea, though Kelly, being an Easterner may not know enough about Dragereans to realize this. The first problem is that the weakening of the Monarchy in England was brought about not by the people, but by the various feudal lords and nobles. The peasants and lower class had little say in the diminishing of the Monarchical power. The Noble houses, know that with patience, their house will ascent to power, and as Nobles their conditions are not bad. The second problem is that unlike humans, where there is no fundamental difference between different people. there are major fundamental differences between the various houses of Dragereans, and even more difference between the Monarch and her subjects. Each member of each of the houses seems to possess traits of their namesake animal. And I would argue that some of them are not merely social constructions but instead inborn genetic traits. As for Zerika, not only can one unequivocally claim that she rules through the divine right of the gods (the Lords of Judgment did give the Orb to her after all), but as Empress she has absolute life or death power over every person connected to the Orb. These inherent differences are going to make it very difficult to rally support in other Houses, (since the various House do not experience the same oppression, nor do they have the same views and ideas), and rallying an Army of Teckla and Easterners will almost certainly fail (being as they have the least inclination or spine for war as well as the poorest armaments and magical capabilties; not to mention the likelyhood of the 16 other Houses opposing them ), and this is all ignoring the fact that the Cycle will almost certainly prevent such a revolution from actually forcing the Emperess to cede away power. Now if Kelly's goal was to have enhanced rights for Easterners and Teckla, there must be better avenues for him to do so, especially with the rumours of an Easterner lover. However, Zerika is a Phoenix, and one who will not become decadent. Not only are the Phoneix in a way the most imperial of the houses and least likely to conceed power aways, especially due to threats, but from what I have seen of her in Paths of the Dead, and Lord of Castle Black (admitting the teneous nature of the facts found within) she doesn't seem like one who would take threats well. -Akodo Bob > >So, while Kelly felt justified because he thought he was going to > >improve the lives of everyone else, he wasn't "thinking it through": > >it appears that you can't go against the Cycle, and he should have > >realized that. > > Perhaps he had in mind that the Cycle could be subordinated to a > People's Republic. Consider the weakened monarchy that exists now in > England, while it is the Prime Minister and Parliament who mostly > control things. And yet not too long ago, England was as strong a > bastion for the Divine Right of Kings as any place ever was. > > So perhaps he has in mind that the Houses and the Emperor will still > exist after the Revolution, but in a much less powerful and absolute > role, changing with the Cycle if need be, but never abrogating the > rights of the people. There will probably be a place for the House of > Nobles (equivalent to the House of Lords, containing representatives > of all of the other Houses), but the greater role would be given to > the House of Commons (Teckla and Easterners).