Whoever made the most noise had the say

Roll, the Duke of Dourfo's nephew, slammed his hand against the armrest and glared at the dejected nobles before him. "Complaining here won't accomplish anything!"

He pointed at the new faction of nobles gathering in the square outside the window. "We cannot let those fellows destroy our ancient traditions and deceive Her Majesty the Queen!

"We must fight them to ensure that our birthrights are not violated!"

He rose and beckoned. "Stop sitting here like cowards. Come with me to see Her Majesty the Queen. She'll listen to us."

Their own interests were at stake, after all, and more than a dozen people immediately stood up as well. "Yes, let Her Majesty uphold justice for us!"

"We can't let those youngsters run wild!"

"Let's go. I'm going to give them a thorough dressing-down..."

Roll took the lead out of the banquet hall and headed downstairs, with many Old Nobles joining him along the way.

By the time they reached the Marble Courtyard, their numbers had swelled to three or four hundred.

Roll led his people straight into the new faction of nobles listening to the speech and immediately demanded loudly, "Just what are you trying to do?"

"You're nobles yourselves. Why would you profane the honor of the nobility?"

The young man delivering the speech beside the lion's-head sculpture on the palace wall shot back loudly, "These rotten privileges should have been abolished long ago!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Will you only be satisfied when nobles are no different from the Sans-culottes[Note 1] on the streets?"

"Nobles already live comfortably enough. Go and look at those poor peasants..."

"Their poverty comes from laziness and stupidity. What does that have to do with us..."

"You're the ones who are lazy and stupid!"

"How dare you insult me! I challenge