“Why don’t we let him chew on that for a while and take a break,” Tor suggested.

I could use a break.

“Aron, during this break, I’d be keen to have a few words with you,” Ry said urgently.

Aron was staring at the table, clearly thrown.

Ry rapped on the table with his knuckles and Aron jumped.

“My brother, a word out of doors,” Ry prompted.

Aron finally saw the wisdom of this, rose, and the two Go’Doan left the room.

“I think we could get further if we conducted discussions while tearing their fingernails out by the roots,” Elpis suggested, as any good Firenz queen would do.

I fought a smile.

Severus looked surly.

Tor, Apollo and Tintagel looked amused.

True grinned wryly at her.

I leaned toward my husband where he sat at the head of the table.

“Would you like me to order food? Tea?” I asked.

“We have water, my love, and if anyone needs anything else, they know how to pull the cord to request a servant,” True answered.

I nodded and righted myself in my seat, turning to Ophelia.

“I hesitate to ask, but how is your lieutenant?”

“She’s now in hospital and she’s recovering,” Ophelia replied. “She can speak and she’s keen to get home.”

“I’m glad for it.”

Ophelia nodded to me then shifted her attention to True. “I must warn you, True, I not only tire of this, I have no time for it. By now, my daughter is in Airen and Fern has been imprisoned for weeks. The state of that realm is precarious. The Nadirii need to ride.”

True glanced at her other daughter then her lieutenants and offered, “Would you like to leave a proxy?”

Ophelia turned to one of her women. “Julia?”

Julia extended her head. “My queen.”

Ophelia gave a short nod and looked to Liam. “You will ride back to Melisse with a guard.”

“I’ll get back to her fine, Your Grace,” he replied.

“You will ride back to Melisse with a guard,” she repeated.

He also inclined his head.

Ophelia stood from where she sat to True’s left and looked down at him.

“Serena may or may not sit this table, it is her choice. We have agreed another mission for her, True, but I must request you continue to extend your hospitality to her while she completes it.”

“May I ask what this mission is?” True queried.

“You do not need to ask, she’s been told to report directly to you,” Ophelia shared.

True’s gaze shifted to Serena, who still looked remote and, it had to be said, downright bored.

His attention went back to Ophelia when she spoke again.

“Ignore Aron. Work G’Ry. He has sense,” she declared.

“He might have sense, but I fear he has no authority,” True replied.

“Their error for sending a priest who would appear to be an elder who they have no regard for and think is just an arse in a seat that will make a new king mistake him for a person of note, thus doing their duty to a summit they have no interest in, for they’re scrambling at home to look for ways to cover all their arses.”