During a big climatic scene.

" “You mistake me. I don’t want to be friends with you. I want you dead. I erased all chance that you would have a change of heart, burned the democratic proposals to cinders and stirred the ashes; I ruined you by letting you blind and ruin yourself. And now, having ventured out of sanctuary, you’ve given me permission to ruin you in the name of the state of Landria. You went after a little too much in taking Vivi. There are many things I’ll let you steal, but I warned you about this one. I’ll lose her on my own terms, thank you, I won’t let her be stolen.”
Then he lunged.
Also, he did some squats, a couple of push-ups, and several handsprings as Ire looked on, bored. Once Quinton had thoroughly warmed up and shaken out his sword arm, he attacked, and things got a lot more interesting."

Annnd, after thousands of words and dozens of chapters, Matthard wants to have conversations with himself NOW.
Good golly, Matthard, REALLY? NOW?

Grrrrrrr

Okay, Ire, you really make me mad. I think I smooth out all your plot problems and then...
YOU MAKE THESE COMMENTS CHAPTERS AND CHAPTERS AGO.
"As if I want to be elected over your corpse"?
Trying to send Matthard out of the country?
You're OBVIOUSLY trying to get rid of him and I'm supposed to believe that he's going to blow a gasket when he figures out about the competitor rule?
GAH.
IRE.
SHUT UP. STOP TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE, YOU ARE MAKING THE CLIMAX...ISH... THING... CONFUSING.
Unless it's a massive misinformation thing. Which is kinda is. Matthard hasn't heard about this, so he freaks. Ire needs to be a bit more ominous. Because, really, Matthard... people've told you you're not expendable. You don't think Selah would know?
Or maybe she hates you.
Good grief, he can't be this paranoid.

Oh. And those campaign ideas in scene 16.5/17? You're totally going to be confused about those in later chapters. Oh Ire. I can't maintain a political stance with you. At all.