The Rogue Guardian

Chapter 73: The Council Meeting

"Yes, Your Highness. It was a mistake. It won't happen again."

She touched the cloak pin at her right shoulder, the gold impressed with a ring of stars modeled after the Guardian Sign. "It's time to go."

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Most of the king's advisors were already seated down the long table of the meeting hall when she and Abram arrived. He went to the king's left side, she to his right.

No one said a word as she sat down in the Sage's seat.

Tobias was conspicuously absent. Normally, being attached to the king's side at every opportunity made him one of the earliest to arrive. But tonight he was, to put in in mildest terms, in disgrace. She had no doubt he was lingering over his desk, coming up with every excuse to not have to come up and face them, which was why she'd taken her own special precautions tonight.

As they waited for the last stragglers to show up, Magali assessed the situation as best she could without Caer's helpful hints. Only the most trusted advisors were present, none of the extraneous nobility that sometimes scraped in if they were in good favor.

Lord Delmeneth, head of the Inigrit, sat diagonal from her. Next to him, as his assistant, sat Lord Laycreek, who caught her eye and nodded a greeting. That was interesting— Delmeneth usually chose an Inigrit lord of higher standing to accompany him to meetings. Laycreek didn't have the usual fortune or position that Delmeneth favored in his henchman... but his family did have a legacy with the Inigrit to rival Delmeneth's own. When it came down to it, Laycreek would be as ruthless in defending the Inigrit as his daughter was. Perhaps, if Delmeneth had chosen loyalty and cunning over glitter and pomp tonight, he was expecting a fight.

Caer had mentioned a few months ago that Delmeneth had lost favor with the king privately. Magali had noticed the new coldness in the meeting room, but she wouldn't have guessed it was because of those older rumors that Delmeneth had attempted to poison the Cycla leader, Lady Verivain, eighteen years ago— at least not until Caer assured her there was a connection.

"But my father never cared about that before. To be honest, we both know he values the lives of the Cycle much less than the Inigrit," she'd pointed out. "He wouldn't care much even if Delmeneth had been successful and Verivain died."

"I'm sure of this information. Ever since the Thief ran off, the king's been dropping hints that he now blames Delmeneth for that old incident."

"What, are those two thing connected?" She didn't see how a poisoning incident as old as Morane was would have caused her to run away.

Caer had shrugged helplessly, and they went on to discuss other things. That had been just days before he also left and didn't return.

Better not to think about that. All the royal spies were engaged in finding Caer. There was nothing else she could do.

The heavy doors swept open with more noise than was polite, and Tobias stepped in with aggravation steaming off him. Vain and another guardsman were flanking him.

"My lord Sage, what's the matter?" Abram greeted him as the other advisors exchanged glances.

Tobias seethed, taking a moment before he was able to answer. "These so-called guards practically dragged me from my office, claiming they were sent to escort me here."

An echo of shocked murmurs followed his announcement.

"So-called? Are you suggesting that these are not actually guards?" A new voice inquired, rising over the advisors. Several heads turned toward the Huntress in surprise. Nolene was more known for being purposefully absent than speaking up during meetings, and Magali suspected most people there preferred it that way. Dark Guardians were uncomfortable presences— she'd felt that well enough herself those few times Morane had accompanied her.