He readily agrees to this. Of course, his wife, Winston, a couple of guards, and some servants know some stuff already.
- the Royal Council
- the election
“Election” is kind of a loaded word. It’s not like you live in a democracy, after all.
When king dies, two councils are held. The first one, the Clan Council, is held by the clan in power, in this case (and for seven generations, IIRC) clan Elendsa. This is to decide who will be the new clanhead and who will be the next ruler. Usually they are the same person, and usually it is the deceased king’s eldest son.
The second one is the Royal Council. This is decided by the tenants-in-chief, that is, those greater nobles who hold land directly from the crown. That is four earls, four barons (present company included), and the Archbishop. They confirm the choice of the Clan Council. If they do not agree to the decision, concessions may be made, and land may change hands. In extreme cases, civil war may break out.
In the long reign of Clan Elendsa, there has always been a smooth transition of rulership.
- cousin Meliem (current status = chief suspect)
Questionable. She seems to be one of the least controversial choices. Her previous position was that of Lord High Chamberlain, basically the Royal Housekeeper. That’s a very powerful position, as she controlled access to the king. It seems that she was selected because she won’t make many waves. But the fact that she is neither eldest nor a male, and that she is unmarried and has produced no son, is problematic. Her eldest sister, Cheselyne the Elder, and niece, Cheselyne the Younger, take great exception to her promotion. The Sheriff of Meselyne, Sir Maldan Harabor, also takes exception to it, and violence may erupt as a result.
- the current political situation
Hoo boy! Where to start?
This PDF is a great resource. Pay special attention to the first three pages. The 4th page has some nice information about Santo.
The current political situation is rather sticky, but I’ll focus on three highlights.
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The teenaged Cheselyne the Younger feels entitled to the throne. Her mother, the queen’s elder sister, was passed over for it 27 years ago and is still bitter. Both are extremely wealthy, influential, and ruthlessly ambitious. Negotiations are underway to marry her off to the son of the Earl of Balim. Should this marriage take place, a major shift in power would take place. This would make a lot of people very unhappy. Such a marriage needs the blessing of both the crown and the Church. The crown looks ready to give in.
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All earls are male, save one. The beautiful Lady Thilisa Meleken, the daughter of the Earl of Vemion, is acting as the Earless of Osel. She recently found herself single again, after her husband went off to chase after a murderer. That was eight months ago, and he has not been seen nor heard from since. Thilisa has had many suitors, but she has refused them all. She has been doing a great job managing her husband’s estates.
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Maldan Harabor. The late king produced no sons, but his lovers did. The two of them produced three sons, all of whom physically resemble the king. Every knows who fathered them, but it was never made official. They remain bastards.
The king (or queen) has traditionally been the Earl of Olokand, but it is managed by the eldest male heir. This heir also traditionally holds the title of Sheriff of Meselyne. That would make him the most powerful man in Kaldor after the king. Since there is no heir, Maldan, the king’s first lover’s son, now holds that postition. Many have taken that as a clear sign that Maldan is, in fact, the son and heir. But since he was never formally acknowledged, he didn’t ascend to the throne. He went into a flying rage over this. And now, Meliem is threatening to strip him of his positions. He seems prepared to defend his positions with force, and he has the armies to do it.
Confused yet? 
