Author's Notes
Lila Beaumont is an important part of the venerable Senator Harold Thornton's staff. But just how important is not known even amongst the inner circles of Corvusia's capitol. While the Senator takes on the most important resolution of his political career and advocates for peace, Lila has her eye on the prize, encouraging him along in several ways.
I always love shows like House of Cards or other political dramas. So, I toy with writing stories like this from time to time because it interests me. Hopefully you all enjoy my take on the genre, I struggled with which category to stick this in. As always, I would love to hear your feedback in the comments! Thanks for reading my On the Job event entry!
As always, big thanks to my editor KenjiSato!
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Intern Intrigue
Nary a brow within the Forum of the Continental Republic of Corvusia was dry that day. The marathon session of the Senate was packed full of aging statesmen and women, and their staff. Orations dragging on for hours yielded to parliamentary rules, yet gained no ground in the issues at hand. The resolution was a fleeting dream for those who patted their foreheads with their handkerchiefs and panted amidst the warm glow of the CCTV lenses above their heads. The people of Corvusia would see their public servants dragging out this discussion, so critical to their nation, for hours with little to show for it. Many red-faced members of the hallowed chamber were either ready to quit, or throw a punch.
"Intervention now, means lives saved later! Our inaction against the atrocities of General Zorn and his army shows him that he can continue his bloody march north! When will my fellows in this chamber act? One hundred miles from our border? Fifty? When he crosses it? When he places his cock on the Steward's lectern?!"
Shouts and grumbles answered the vexed diatribe of the flustered senator from Corvusia's north. The gavel of the Senate Steward pounded the block, bringing the chamber to order as the conversation surrounding the looming threat of war remained interminable.
"Senator! You will remain in order of the rules of this chamber, and refrain from such language, or be sanctioned!"
"I ask for no forgiveness, steward, the threat demands such provocative language, lest my peers in this chamber fall asleep! I move that we vote on this resolution once and for all! End this threat!"
Roars and gavel falls echoed across the marble pillars of the chamber, as the conversation descended to new lows.
Behind the discord, beneath the shaded alcove of the Forum's mezzanine, the staff to the senators loomed. Little hope in their eyes they would see the inside of cocktail bars before the last call, or kiss their families goodnight. Whispering amongst themselves, they took bets as to how long the senators would be at it, and which caucus would relent for a night's compromise to force the chamber to reconvene on the morrow.
Watching, eyes cold and uncaring for the issue at hand, a lonesome intern leaned against an ornate marble pillar. Her dark red hair flowed over a white shoulder, as she held a leather-bound portfolio against her large breasts. Over her shoulder, she could hear the whispers of the other interns, senate hall rumors abounding about the nature of her relationship with her boss, the honorable Senator Harold Thronton. It wasn't mainstream, and no one had anything on her to prove their impropriety, but girls talked, and thus, Lila Beaumont kept to herself.
"Are we going to go home tonight, or is Senator Thornton going to drag this out on his time?"
Tall, handsome, with a wisp of roguish charm, her fellow intern, Paul, came close. Too close.
Lila stepped to the side, her expression just as cold and uncaring as before. Those who knew her, regarded her as blank, with little emotion slipping amidst her eyes or mouth, only an icy gaze found her peer.
"The senator is going to stand by his convictions."
Paul huffed incredulously. "Convictions."
"Maybe Senator Russo could acquire some?"
Paul narrowed his eyes as he bent down to meet her gaze. Lila, unfazed, let him come within inches of her face as they locked in an unspoken duel of wills.
"Your dear senator better be careful to not let his convictions turn into being convicted." His eyes wandered down her buxom form, inspecting her large breasts, wide hips, and tapered shape. His gaze implied something that only petty girls dared to whisper.
Lila, with her icy expression, would let nothing slip herself. It was all just conjecture.
"His lack of patriotism sickens me," he finished, turning to leave before hearing Lila respond.
"Patriotism takes many forms, Paul. Senator Thornton just hasn't succumbed to your form of jingoism."
With a curled lip, her vexed peer took his leave.
Turning her gaze back to the chamber, the rambling of senators had not ceased despite her lack of attention. Her steely eyes found the grey nape of her own senator, whispering to his colleagues at either shoulder. He was a simple man of season, his glasses made his eyes look rounder, and his face had a kindness to it, despite the tenacity he could exhibit when provoked into a verbal spar of political ideologues.
Before long, a wave of his hand beckoned Lila over. The young intern of twenty-one years softly clicked her heels down the aisle to his seat. To reach him, she had to push in front of the row of statesmen who sat behind Senator Thornton, to which she excused herself. The shove of her ass past the knees of the old and weary men saw their faces lighting up.
What was better, was how she would need to bend over the back of Senator Thornton's seat, giving a taut shape beneath her skirt. Those ahead of her made little discretion at dreaming about the small gap in her blouse to see down her cleavage. Yet none of this bothered her, her own senator before her kindly looking up as he whispered.
"I need the plan-B notes," he said, holding out his hand.
Her cold expression melted, a smile just for him sliding across her face as she let the portfolio away from her bosom. Her large sacks rested with gravity's slight pull against her usual firmness. Harold Thornton was not immune to her femininity, his own eyes taking a look down her blouse. Lila didn't mind, smiling as she handed him the notes he required and leaning in for her own whisper.
"You've got this, Senator. Just like we talked about." Her bright teeth glowed as she departed him.
The red-faced senators around Harold shook their heads in envy as she trotted away, stealing the attention of the republic's most powerful men. Finding her place back beneath the mezzanine, she waited for the moment she and the senator came for that night.
"I yield my time to the gentleman from Equiterra, the Honorable Senator Thornton."
"The Steward recognizes Senator Thornton from the Equiterran Fourth."
"Thank you... Honorable Steward."
Standing up from his place, amid the grand horseshoe of statesmen from far and wide of Corvusia, a rather thin man with white hair and a pale face did his best to project his voice. Despite the microphone dangling just above him, he wanted his colleagues of the Continental Senate to hear the tenacity of his words, as he prepared to denounce the latest political whim of the nation's legislative body.
Clearing his throat, the seemingly meagre man put forth his best oration. "I stand here today amongst you all, in disbelief of such rash measures. The war hawks amongst our ranks have grown louder with their cawing."
Several gripes and boos to the sentiment rumbled around the chamber. Lila was not amongst them; instead, nodding her head, praying he stayed on script.
"Every waking second, our people in this republic are subjected to the fear mongering of those partied to my colleagues on the opposite side of this chamber. Constant telling of violence and war far to our south meant to stir a sense of terror and drive a manufactured need to action. Those who favor action say, 'Act now or later we will be at a disadvantage'. Since when does this great republic prey upon speculative threats without first leading the world in diplomacy?"
The senator adjusted his glasses as he looked over the notes Lila had handed him.
"The proposition for military action is a bridge too far! Do we not tire of the wars that have killed our young? Do we not weep at the prospect of losing more?"
Senator Thornton looked back towards the gaggle of staff in the rear of the chamber, finding Lila with a kind smile.
"My own intern, Lila, lost her brother in the last war. How exactly should I ask her to sacrifice her others?"
Groans and applause mixed amidst the stale air of the Forum. Time ticked on as Thornton arrived at his final point.
"All of this warmongering, and its proponents would have us believe they are of a noble cause."
He dramatically held up the stack of papers Lila had passed to him. Her eyes twinkled as she took in a deep breath of hope for his delivery.
"Here in my hand, is evidence, that the Ministry of Defense has lost yet another two billion dollars of allocated funding for procurement in the last five years. Further, these funds were suspiciously mishandled by procurement offices working directly with the top defense contractors in Corvusia!"
The chamber erupted into shouts, groans, and disbelief. The implications of the corrupt transfer of funds to companies charged with the production of defense assets for the republic were damning. This revelation truly turned the resolution of military action against General Zorn on its head.
Lila's chest heaved, as she took a breath, after holding it for the duration of Thornton's speech. He did it. He got the reaction that he wanted... that she wanted.
"Order! Order!" The steward blustered, face pale and dejected as he tried to regain control of his chamber.
"I move for a recess so we can analyze the senator's claims!" a member of the moderate caucus of the Forum shouted over the clamor.
