Forbidden In Your Eyes

13. Castiel

"Thank you all for coming at short notice," King Leuko addresses the room of men.

The king's royal advisors and leaders in the army fill the meeting space. General Sosord leers at me from across the room, but I focus on Leuko.

"It has been brought to my attention that there is still great unrest in the north," he announces with a disappointed frown. "A rebel meeting was to take place tonight near the Nivermis Rapids. What's the progress on that?"

I open my mouth to speak, but a loud scoff cuts me off.

"Captain Rolissar and the Storm Division were in charge of overseeing the arrest of those rebels," General Sosord declares.

He throws an accusing glare my way. "But he chose to spread word that we were aware of this meeting. Now our element of surprise has been compromised."

My blood begins to boil as all eyes turn to me in bewilderment. I stare down the older man confidently.

"With all due respect, General Sosord," I force myself to say through gritted teeth. "To ambush the rebels near the rapids is far too dangerous. Alerting them that we were aware of their meeting forces them to change to a safer location."

After a moment, King Leuko claps his hands excitedly, the sound piercing the tension in the room.

"Aren't you the clever one, captain?" he coos as the council begins to mumble in agreement. "What a genius strategy if I do say so myself!"

Sosord's face flushes red as he turns to the king.

"But Your Majesty, now we have no insight on those traitors' whereabouts!" he argues, and one could practically see smoke coming out of his ears.

"I assure you that we have spies throughout most of these organizations," I interject. "If we were able to discover this meeting, I am confident we will learn of future ones."

Someone clears their throat. Advisor Wisegrove steps forward. Out of all the advisors on Leuko's council, I find Wisegrove to be the most tolerable. He is a man who is not consumed by greed for power and always has a calm and kind demeanor; rare traits to find in those who live at court.

"Your Majesty, may I point out one of my observations?" the older man humbly asks, bowing slightly.

"Of course, Advisor Wisegrove," Leuko encourages with a flick of his hand.

"The northerners still do not view us as one kingdom," the advisor states. "There needs to be a greater emphasis on the union between the north and the south. If we can show them that we are not the enemy anymore, there will be fewer rebellions."

King Leuko strokes his chin. "I've taken the northerner, Lady Sylisa Falien, as one of my consorts. Surely that's a strong enough display of unity?"

Advisor Wisegrove frowns thoughtfully.

"If I may be so bold, Your Majesty, that may not be enough. My suggestion is that you take Lady Sylisa on progress, show the people that she is happy, and word will eventually spread that she approves of the union."

This idea immediately doesn't sit right with me.

"Taking the king out on progress would expose him to attacks from the rebels. It is far too risky," I sternly object.

I see General Sosord rolls his eyes.

"Captain Rolissar, you have a habit of letting frets and worries intervene with your duties," the general sneers.

"Taking the necessary precautions to protect my king is my duty, general," I shoot back firmly.

Advisor Wisegrove lets out a sigh, turning to King Leuko who appears amused by the conversations taking place. "If going on progress jeopardizes your safety, Your Majesty, then you should make Lady Sylisa your queen instead."

I nearly choke on my own spit. I'm not the only one who is shocked as the room becomes filled with murmurs and whispers.

"Lady Sylisa is the key to ending this feud between the north and the south," Advisor Wisegrove calmly continues. "They would not rebel against a queen who is one of them. They will feel like they have someone to represent them if a northerner shares the throne."

Reluctantly, I recognize that it is an excellent political strategy, and yet, the thought of Sylisa sleeping in the king's bed every night makes my heart sink.

However, King Leuko's eyes widen with interest. "I agree with you, advisor, that Lady Sylisa is a very valuable component in ending the tension in the Northern Tundra."

"She is extraordinarily beautiful, which doesn't hurt," he adds, a dreamy smile on his lips. "The heirs that we produce would certainly be good-looking, wouldn't they?"

At this, I instantly feel sick to my stomach, and my fists clench at my sides.

"Your Majesty, I advise you to think about this carefully," I hastily urge. "You've only had one conversation with the northern consort. Get to know her better before you consider marriage."

Thankfully, Advisor Wisegrove nods in agreement. "It is indeed quite soon to make such an important decision."

King Leuko pouts in disappointment. "Alright, I suppose that is the rational thing to do. However, I would still like to go on progress with Lady Sylisa. While I take time to consider the possibility of marriage, a display of unity between the north and the south is still necessary."

"My king," I say with a warning tone. "It will be a risky endeavor."

Leuko lets out a laugh and waves me off humorously, his gold bracelets making a jingling sound.

"Oh, captain! You and the Storm Division will be protecting me and Lady Sylisa. My consort and I couldn't possibly be any safer," he assures me with a wink. "Besides, we desperately need this to happen before the rebellion grows out of our control."

Advisor Wisegrove nods with approval. "I agree, Your Majesty. We will begin to plan your trip immediately, and I will personally notify Lady Sylisa."

As the meeting wraps up, an uncomfortable lump begins to form in my throat. Without the safety of the palace, anything could happen.

---

A/N: For those who may not know, "progress" means a state journey or official tour, especially by royalty. Also, will Sylisa become queen after all?

As always, thanks for reading!