“We know that you two are aware of the Kingdoms Council that took place two years ago,” Keane states.
Shit.
I guess we’re going there tonight.
The twins on my left turn to look at eachother, their blue-green eyes speaking without words as they always do. I shift in my seat and look back at the Prince brothers, hating the look of intensity that is consuming them both.
“Your father asked us to keep the secret,” Holis admits.
“We’re aware of that as well,” Desmond replies at Keane’s side.
I glance to Cal on Keane’s left, but he’s looking between the twins in open confusion. He’s the only one at this table who isn’t aware of what’s being talked about, and I know what that feeling is like as I was just in his place not a few days ago.
“Cal…”
Cal’s light brown eyes meet mine in question. I give him a small smile, wishing beyond everything that this wasn’t how he learned of the Council. He has every right to know about the event that started our travels two years ago, but he shouldn’t be learning of it like this. Not when this is starting to feel like an ambush.
“We’d also like to bring Cal up to speed,” the eldest Prince continues, still looking at the twins, “do you foresee any problems with that?”
Holis and Mana give a curt shake of their heads in response, remaining quiet.
Keane gives them a brief but hard nod before turning to my big friend at his side, “your travels with Lady Alexis that began roughly two years ago were due to a council that our father called between the Four Kingdoms.”
Cal’s questioning eyes leave my gaze to look at the Prince.
“The Council consisted of the current leaders of the Kingdoms at the time, each of them hearing and assessing my father’s request.”
Cal frowns, his face looking just as mine did when I listened to Clair and McQuoid. He’s terribly confused, and I can tell he already wants to ask questions but is keeping quiet instead.
“My father’s request of the leaders asked that the thousands year old rule not allowing humans to have access to magical knowledge and mystical libraries be broken. He asked for a single human to be able to enter those libraries throughout the Kingdoms…”
Keane looks at me without emotion, “Lady Alexis has been traveling the Kingdom of Disce with the three of you for the past two years as a result of that Council, searching for a book on behalf of my father.”
I shift in my seat again and try not to glare at the Prince, hating the way this conversation is being handled. Cal glances back at me with his brows furrowed in more question, and, I think, what looks to be a lot of hurt in his eyes.
Ancients.
“I swear I just learned of the nature of our travels myself in Red Falls, Cal,” I whisper.
Cal narrows his eyes and doesn’t say a word. He just sits back in his chair and grips his ale in more silence, turning back to the Prince.
“What we don’t understand,” Desmond continues with the twins, “is why the two of you were made aware of the Council and the travels that followed as a result of it.”
Cal scoffs at the question and takes a hefty drink of his ale, all traces of the happy mountain of a man I know disappearing. Holis and Mana glance at eachother once again before turning to look at Cal with a grimace. They also don’t like the hurt this conversation is causing him.
It’s Mana, with his beautiful and quiet Discerni face, who replies to the Master Informer. But he doesn’t look at either of the Princes when he speaks, and instead keeps his eyes on Cal as his voice pleads for understanding.
“We were made aware of the Council because we are and have always been, followers of the Ancient Hirovale.”
I quickly turn to the twins next to me in confusion.
“You knew Lady Alexis would find his Bird of Ash during these travels?” Keane inquires.
“We suspected,” Mana replies at the same time his brother answers, “wehoped.”
“Which means our father also suspected,” Desmond shakes his head, exasperation dripping from his voice, “why?”
The twins turn their heads to me in unison, their blue-green eyes holding mine.
