Speaker

“Why are we going? Don’t you hate this guy?”

Armani hesitated, “I do. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go. He’s a bastard, but every now and then we agree on a few things.”

“Still! You should be the one up there! You’re smart, and kind, and the country would benefit from what you have to say!”

Armani wrapped her arm around her sister, “I’m not sure that’s my place. Let’s just watch how this one will go, okay?”

Nina pouted, “Alright.”

Despite being a couple of blocks away from the Grand Lawn, the area was still jam-packed with people. Barricades were being put up to direct traffic. The Queen’s Guard were patrolling the outlying area; occasionally pulling civilians aside for ‘security checks’. Armani squeezed her little sister closer before turning the corner and approaching the southernmost point Grand Lawn.

“Girls! Over here!”

Clayton was waving the girls over off to the side. Armani led her sister over and gave Clayton a kiss as the two met. He grabbed Armani by the hand and dragged her through the crowd. A nervous look stained his face.

“Over here. Sammy said it was alright for you two to be at the side of the stage while he speaks.”

Armani’s grip on her sister stiffened among the dense crowd. The ramblings of the thousands of people were so loud she had to yell to be heard, “Are you all okay?”

Clayton paid no attention to her question, he was shoving bystanders aside as they made their way to the stage. It was of steel construction, with colorful felt on the elevated floor. The Queen’s sigil illuminated beside the towering speakers.

Clayton pulled Armani up to the steps and tried his best to whisper into her ear, “Sammy is planning on going off script.”

The blood drained from Armani’s face, “Oh no…”

Nina leaned in closer to try to hear Clayton’s words, “We tried to talk him out of it. Despite our efforts, he's insistent on doing things 'his way'. ”

“Does he understand…”, Armani began.

“Yes, he doesn’t care. He thinks it’ll be inspiring.”

Armani frantically looked around the back of the stage. Various other students were running around: configuring stage equipment, carrying important notes, and otherwise looking like they would rather be anywhere than they currently were.

Among the various characters, was Sammy, who was absorbed into his notes. Armani marched over to where he was sitting and yanked the papers from his hand.

He slowly looked up and adjusted his glasses, “Armani, always a pleasure.”

“What are you thinking?”

He yanked his notes back, “That I'll finally yell what this country has been thinking for a long time.”

“You’re a moron.”

“I’m doing what I think is right.”

“Half the times you say that I want to knock the teeth out of your mouth.”

Nina and Clayton followed behind Amani. He stepped between the two, “Calm down Armani. Sammy, I do agree with her. We worked for months to get permission to do this. The Guard won’t be happy once you go off script.”

“I’ll be just fine. I know that I can do this.”

He checked his watch and stood up, his face inches away from Clayton’s, “It’s time for me to be onstage. I’m going to speak my mind and the Guard, the crowd, and least of all, you, will not stop me.”

Sammy shoved Clayton to the side and strode onto the stage. The crowd cheered as he waved his hands and spoke into the microphone, “Hello people of Calesh! I’m Samuel!”

Armani ran her fingers across the front of her small heart necklace. Beads of sweat fell down her face. Nina gripped her sister's hand.

"I still think you deserve to be up there.", she muttered.

He gripped the microphone firmly with both hands, “We all know why we’re here. We’re tired of the violence going on in our country. We’re tired of people needlessly dying at the hands of criminals and terrorists. We need to work together to improve our country. Only in unison with the Guard, can we truly be free!”

The interior of the crowd mumbled amongst themselves, their dissatisfied faces glancing between each other and the speaker before them. The exterior of the crowd politely clapped, glancing at the surrounding Guard as they did so. The Guard themselves were leaning around the buildings that surrounded the Grand Lawn, chatting amongst each other.

Sammy glanced back at Armani, and smiled, “But… I guess true freedom can’t exist here…”

Armani gripped her necklace, Clayton stepped forward, wanting to stop him. But was held back by Nina. The mumbling in the crowd stopped, and the Guard stepped forward.

“… True freedom can’t exist with our current state. Not while we are under the watch of the Queen’s Guard. Not while the violence we fear is more from the state than from the citizens they claim is our enemy…”

The crowd’s mood changed, they were reluctant, but starting inward, the mumbling began again.

“… We were told that we have to fear each other, but that’s not true. The state fears to lose its monopoly on violence, they fear what we can all do together!”

From the reluctant mumbling, became the beginning of cheers. Even the crowd on the outside began to grin at what he was saying. The guards looked at each other and began to walk towards the stage.

“I ask that you follow me! For a better tomorrow!”

The mumbling stopped, what little hope for the continued speech died down. The guards that had been heading for the stage laughed and went back to their relaxed positions.

Sammy’s large smile died down, he muttered and tripped over his own words. “Trust me, I mean… we can do what’s best for…. Our country can prosper once again!”

The crowd stayed silent. I single voice of disapproval turned into the booing of several, then hundreds. The entire crowd turned to yelling at their speaker. Sammy put the microphone back on the stand and stumbled backwards.

Nina gripped Armani’s hand, “Do you trust me?”

She turned back, “ Of course, why?”

Nina nodded and proceeded to kick her sister towards the center of the stage. Armani stumbled forward, past Sammy and she caught herself on the microphone stand.

“Dammit”, she muttered underneath her breath. She looked back at her sister and boyfriend. Her heart began to beat against her chest. She looked among the crowd. The world around her fell silent, holding its breath, waiting for her to speak.

“My n-name is… I’m…”, she rubbed her necklace once more before gripping it and yanking it off her neck, wrapping it in her fist.

“It doesn’t matter who I am. Because what I’m going to say… Is probably something you all already know.”

She looked back at Sammy, “We don’t need a new leader telling us what do to. We don’t need someone who thinks they know all the answers.”, she turned back to the crowd, “What Samuel proposed, a leader against the government? No, we don't need that. It would only cause violence, acting as poison for this country. A poison no one, especially the Queen, wants. Do you all think that the Queen wants her people to suffer?”

The crowd spoke between one another. The guards were doing the same, eager to listen more.

“This rally… Was supposed to praise our Queen, while making extravagant speeches about the solutions for the problems that this country faces… But the fact is... we cannot do both.”

Her heart jumped into her throat as she spoke, she felt the point of no-return pass as the words left her mouth, “For only by critiquing the Queen… Can we have real progress.”

The guards began to step towards the stages.

“We need to be heard. Have the freedom to speak our minds, and shout to the world what we believe is right!”

The crowd began to murmur approval, even the people closest to the guards were beginning to smile and feel the warmth of Armani’s words.

“I know that change is scary. That simple actions, simple conversations, can change the world we live in. The first step is understanding each other. Even the guards, making their way here now, they’re just following orders. They’re men and women, just doing a job so that they can go home to their families.”

The Guard began to make their way through the crowd, one of them hit an audience member who had the audacity to smile.

“This part… will be for the Queen… I plead that you listen to your subjects. We’re tired, we want change. We need it. You… Need to stop playing such dangerous games with your people.”

They stepped up to the stage and grabbed Sammy, Armani set the microphone back on its stand, and raised her hands, surrendering to the force before her. But not before the crowd was in an uproar. Cheering and applauding turned to chanting.

“Let her go! Let her go!”

At a wave of a hand, dozens of guards unleashed batons and tasers and unleased chaos throughout the crowd. But they had no hope of stopping the thousands of citizens.

“Let her go! Let her go!”

They dragged the two of them off the stage. Clayton and Nina tried to run after them but they were held back by other guards. Tears streamed down Nina’s eyes as she yelled for her sister’s return. Armani locked eyes with her sister, tears streaming down her eyes as well. She gripped her heart necklace once more before yanking her arm free and throwing it at Nina.

“Keep her necklace safe, okay?”

Nina leaped forward to catch it, she fell to her knees and held the necklace close to her chest.

“Let her go! Let her go!”

The crowd’s cries grew louder and more violent. The hundred or so guards were no match for the thousands of citizens who cried out for action. The guards could only hold back the crowds as they dragged their prisoners to a nearby van and threw them in the back. Handcuffs were thrown on them and they were laid on the floor of the van before being driven off. The sounds of the crowds died off as they quickly left the scene.

“What… What did you do?”, Sammy asked.

Armani hesitated, “I think… I think I started something.”