Your rhetoric is smooth. This will be an asset when dealing with the Mercere. They need you more than you need them. You just need to convince them of that. But first, you must convince yourself of that.
As for myself, I am already committed to your cause, and I assure you there is no doubt as to your continued prosperity. The covenant has been attacked before and has emerged from winter at least once before. Andorra Covenant shall endure as long as its Eternal Flame burns unending.
Speaking of which, I have an interesting idea. As you may know or already guess, I have transformed myself into a genie. Or so I believe. I was researching legends of other mortal sorcerors transforming into magic spirits, and the magic of Sulimain wizards to that extent. My experiments had hardly begun when spectatular unexpected results transformed me thusly. I was unprepared for transformation and I do not fully understand the extent. But my best guess is that I am a genie, and my locus is the Phoenix Sword of Valdarius.
I am considering if it is possible to transfer my Locus to the Eternal Flame.