"I - apologize if I seemed to be questioning the honor of the Supreme Elect. Of course I trust his word."

Oh no. "I, um. Didn't think you were. I just meant that - if he says he'd step down, and he can't lie about something public like that where he'd get caught, and people paying attention in Lastwall and Galt and Taldor all think he'd step down... one -" no, don't say 'should' "...wouldn't be particularly stupid to believe that he'd step down. If he lost the election." Maybe the thing to do is to find some of Carissa's coworkers who oppose Codwin and suggest Carissa talk to them and notice how they're not being dragged off to gulags.

"I, uh, would have expected people to believe that he'd - quite reasonably and correctly change his mind under some circumstances? Like...say that the Most High Aspexia Rugatonn won, he would not step down in her favor, nor would he be expected to, nor would it call his honor into question that he didn't, since of course a paladin can't enable an Evil person coming to power. And ...that's an extreme example but probably there are lots of unworthy people like her."

"I think he might, actually. It would be terrible for the country but he swore in his oath of office to step down when his term is over and - I think paladins usually stick by their oaths. Even when that has terrible consequences. If, uh, it was some other terrible person who was actually eligible to run, I don't think his oath obliges him to step down if someone ineligible happens to get more votes than him."

"What makes someone, uh, eligible?"

"Landowning Andoren citizen, over the age of - I don't actually remember all of them, but thirty for humans - not an Asmodean or a diabolist or demoniac or soul-sold, willing to take the oath of office."

"Oh. All right, I understand."

She somehow suspects Carissa does not, in fact, understand. That... seems like a problem that, if she should try fixing it at all, she should try fixing more thoughtfully. Later. For now, she'll steer the conversation back towards magic for the rest of the evening. It's a much less uncomfortable subject.

When she gets home, Alfirin collapses into her wife's arms. "I'm upset about Cheliax."