Selma Payne's POV:
"Now, it's time to fulfill my duty! My Lords, in this life-and-death crisis, shouldn't we put aside our prejudices for the time being and unite against the outside world to return the children to a clear world?"
The Great Elder might not be a successful leader, but he must be a successful speaker.
Using the children as an entry point undoubtedly hit the sore spot of most of the people present. They might have ulterior motives or not like each other, but they all cherished every little life that was hard to come by. Children were on the reverse scale of all elves. Even if they met a child they didn't know, no adult elf would stand by and watch them fall into danger.
