By the time the first snow settled over Deira, Cyran Solvere had become Prime Minister of Nuria.
The months leading to the official instatement had been quieter than Arik expected, though hardly simple.
Once the foreign-funded support around Cyran's campaign was cut away, several regional offices collapsed almost immediately. Consultants vanished, supposedly independent civic groups stopped producing promotional material, and two provincial coordinators resigned within the same week.
For several days, Cyran's numbers dropped sharply.
Then he started rebuilding.
Without Gerard's machinery behind him, he spent most of the remaining campaign traveling. He appeared at universities, agricultural councils, industrial cooperatives and provincial debates, answering questions until his voice was rough and his staff had to drag him toward whichever transport waited outside. He was irritatingly good at it.
