Alwyn Betrayal

The Alwyn Betrayal was a pivotal event in the history of Calbion that can be regarded as the final act in the period known as the Calbain Troubles. Decades of political unrest, heralded in by terrorism and political stalemates culminated in a weak government. When Prince Arthur III passed away, a symbol of stability was lost. During the days of the troubles, commentators spoke of the "fall" of Calbion. The weakness of the institutions that upheld Calbain government, such as the office of Governor-General and the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol shocked many.

The Plot

In 1733 AN, several Calbain leaders met secretly in the Kilkellian city of Alwyn. Here, political and church leaders, notably Governor-General Hugo Lewis-Dreicdyn, leader of the Realist faction Rowenna Sherrinford, the Grand Master of the Calbain Church Huw Macklemore, and several prominent members of the House of de Montfort made a pact to remove Prince Deiniol who, due to his Elw ancestry, was regarded as "foreign" and unfit to provide the symbolically uniting role that a Prince of the Calbain should have in these times. Secondly, both the nationalists and realists were deeply shocked by the gains made by the socialist faction led by Oswald Wyndham during the elections of 1729 and planned to orchestrate a semi-coup by blaming the political unrest on the socialists, and returning to the traditional Nationalist-Realist divide in the next elections that would be called shortly after a new prince could be installed.

Unfolding of the Events

The plotters spent several months orchestrating their plans, making sure that the main institutions such as the armed forces, the Church, and the owners of the largest businesses within Calbion were on board with their plans. The transition was planned to go smoothly. According to plans later found, the full plot contained seven steps:

1. The drawing up of the Alwyn agreement, and ensuring the commitment of all parties;
2. The calling of a special session of the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, in which the Prince would give an address to the House;
3. A senior member of the Realist faction, Sir Kendrick Shoneworth, would immediately after the address rise up, and deliver a short speech that accused the Prince of colluding with the socialist faction. The accusation would consist of various parts, but chiefly would state that the Prince paid large sums of money to Oswald Wyndham's campaign in exchange for the socialists no longer advocating for Calbion to become a republic, but instead grand several more political powers to the office of Prince;
4. Following the chaos, mainly caused by assembly members that were instructed to shout and demand answers, the Gwarchod Tywysogaidd (Princely Guard, a military police force) would enter the chambers arresting several prominent socialists for making trouble;
5. Taking the stand, Governor-General Lewis-Dreicdyn would proclaim that there would be a full investigation;
6. In order to save himself from being removed, Prince Deinol would be offered to resign in favour of his distant cousin: Jeremy de Montfort;
7. With many main socialist leaders in prison, a new election would be called and stability would return.

However, as history will tell, this plan did not come to fruition. Below is the account of Sir Royce Wayne, Captain of the Gwarchod Tywysogaidd, who was in on the plot but later recalled the exact events that happened on the assembly floor that day.

Account of Sir Royce Wayne

In the morning of the 5th day of Llydedd, 1733, I entered the imposing Harrows's Commons building, where the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol sits. I am a proud Calbain and this building for me represents the rule of freedom. I was sad that day when I walked through the doors because for many years, that idea had started to fade. Much of the governing class was simply inadequate. The last elections brought more than 70 seats combined for factions that fundamentally hate our country and our ways. The Elw Prince - if I even dare to still grant him this title - had poisoned the last proud institution: the office of Prince that was once held by Llywelyn the Victorious and Jack the Good. Now, a boy that had no ties to my great nation sat on the Princely Throne.

I was sceptical of the Alwyn plans in the first place. For one, I had no fate in the Governor-General. The nationalists have stood for nothing in the years of trouble, and neither have the realists. Change wouldn't come from politics. Even when they asked me and the Guard to play our role in the restoration of stability, I had to repress a strong urge to scoff and walk away. They were still playing their political games: scared of the socialists not because of what they represent, but because they threaten their comfortable lives and their seats in the Assembly.

I accepted though, and that was only for one man. Jeremy de Montfort was not a very outspoken man. During our meeting he was sitting quietly in a corner. He was a cousin of Deinol, and as such I didn't care much for him, even though he grew up in Calbion and apparently had been close to Prince Arthur. But, when all the politicians had stopped speaking, he turned to me and said only a few words that I remember to this day: "Good sir" he said "I do not know you, but a captain in the Gwarchod is someone I must respect. I implore you to side with us, to end the decay and the rot. My cousin, though I do not wish him ill, will not be a good Prince. I will not tell you that I will be, but I will tell you this: everything I will do, I will do for this land and its people, because they are within my heart".

Then I knew that I was in, not for Lewis-Dreicdyn or for Sherrinford, or for the business dealings of some scheming traders. I would be in because I wanted this man on the Princely Throne.

When I walked in that day, flanked by a double dozen of guards, I could hear the voice of Deinol from the Assembly hall. He was wrapping up his speech. Never before had I heard a voice that at the same time was so weak, and so pompous, it made the hairs on my arm rise up. When Deinol finished, there was a meager applause, and then, as planned, Sir Shoneworth rose up and spoke the words that he was tought to speak. "Assembly" he ended "The socialists and the Prince are a danger, they must now be removed or else this country will never recover". Meanwhile, socialist Assemblymembers had risen up and were brawling with some Realists. This was the moment that we would need to act.

What I did then, I know very well to be a crime and unforgivable. But I did it for the good of my country. I had chosen my 24 men very carefully. They were patriots, who valued Calbion over their own lives. Who were willing to break the law and to do what needed to be done. So we did it: we opened fire.

We must have had less than a minute before the police and armed forces arrived. But we fired on these people that were to ruin us if they could. We wounded many, we killed many also. Our main target were the socialists and those traitors of the minority group. We got Wyndham for sure, I think my second lieutenant shot him clean through the head. We also got several nationalists, on the other side of the hall. It was the cleansing this country needed.

I didn't engage with this fight, I had another task myself. On the far end of the hall stood a throne. Deinol's face was pale as a sheet when I walked up to him. He didn't even have the courage to beg. He just sat there.

"This is for Calbion" I said. And I shot him three times through the heart.

When I turned around, I saw the army and the police enter. I dropped my gun. Our fight was not with our fellow countrymen or our institutions. We needed to do this to have a fresh start. I know that what we did was unforgivable, but I provided my country with a new future. I beg of all patriots: do not fail us.

Aftermath

The Alwyn Betrayal and the bloodbath in the National Assembly shocked the country. Nevertheless, a substantial minority of Calbain supported the actions of the guardsmen. The government, however, publically strongly denounced the bloodshed. Sir Wayne and the 20 surviving members of his guard were all sentenced to execution by hanging. In a speech, two weeks after the event, Governor-General Lewis-Dreicdyn announced the formation of an emergency cabinet with the Realists. He added that the charges of collusion against the late Prince and the socialist faction had been absolutely true, but no prosecutions would follow given that the main actors were dead. Jeremy de Montfort, who was unaware of the actions of Captain Wayne, was proclaimed Prince of the Calbain as the nearest family member of Deinol. He took the regnal name Jack III. Upon his ascension, the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol granted the Prince emergency powers to rule by executive degree for ten AN years, something that had not happened since the days of Prince Jack I.