Not a request. A statement. A demand.
My mind blanked for a second.
“You—” I blinked. “What?”
“At the meeting. I want you there.”
I stared at him, caught completely off guard, my mind desperately trying to catch up. “Why?”
“Because you’re clever.” He paused, rubbing his chin. “And because they won’t be expecting it.”
I didn’t know what stunned me more—the compliment, or the fact that he genuinely meant it.
“Not a bad idea.” Fenric adjusted the cuff of his shirt. “They’ll be expecting us to hide her away. Letting her appear as part of the court might make them hesitate.”
Darian’s brow furrowed. “It’s risky,” he cautioned. “We don’t know how they’ll react to her presence.”
“Exactly,” Varyth said. “That unpredictability is precisely what we need.”
He turned to me. “You’ll be there.” There was no question in his voice, no room for discussion.
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. This was far beyond anything I had anticipated when I’d made my impulsive suggestion.
“I… I don’t know anything about diplomacy,” I stammered. A lie. But I was searching for a way out. “Wouldn’t I be in the way?”
“You won’t need to say anything.” The corners of Fenric’s lips twitched. “Your presence alone will be enough to unsettle them.”
“Besides,” Darian chimed in, his eyes focused. “You’ve already shown an aptitude for strategy. Your suggestion to meet with them was sound.”
A flush crept up my neck at the praise, even as anxiety coiled in my stomach. It was one thing to toss an idea into the air, another to be drawn into it. Being in the same room with the High Lord of Nyxaria—the Shadow Lord himself—was not an event I had planned on. A male who had attacked this court without provocation, who sent soldiers to our borders. A High Lord known for cruelty and darkness.
I met Varyth’s gaze, searching for any hint of doubt or hesitation, but found only that same unwavering certainty.
Finally, I relented.
“Very well.” The words came out smooth. They had no right to. “What do you need me to do?”
Varyth’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.
“For now, listen and learn. Fenric will brief you on court etiquette and the finer points of our history with Nyxaria. Darian will help you choose appropriate attire.”
Darian’s face lit up the way it always did when handed a task he could take a little too seriously. “Right then, we need an outfit that screamsdon’t mess with mebut alsoI’m full of secrets you’ll never uncover.”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed.
“Don’t worry,” Darian added, flashing a grin. “I’ll get Eilrys to help. Gods forbid I dress you in anything that isn’t perfect.”
Fenric rolled his eyes, but the faintest ghost of a smirk crossed his face. “We’ll meet in the evenings, after the children have gone to bed. I’ll have my brother join—he might not be chatty, but he’ll have better insights than anyone else.”
I tilted my head, interest piqued. “Your brother?”
“Cindrissian.” Fenric gave a casual nod
For the second time that night, my mind emptied.
“Cindrissian—” I started, cutting off as I tried to understand. “Cindrissian is—he’s your brother?”
Fenric’s lips twitched in amusement. “Indeed. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
