Finally Found

Chapter 11 - Lilas

"What do you think the Council have deemed so urgent that we have to be here?" Bel asks as we walk to the meeting hall having left Kor to look after Emmy. This is the furthest we've been away from her since we met and it's the first time in centuries we're attending a meeting without Kor, despite how much he hates them he comes with us for our sake.

"Who knows with them. They have different ideas of what's urgent so it could be anything." It's true, in the past they've asked us to be here for urgent matters that turned out to be easily fixable such as what they should do during a festival in celebration of the Stones creation. We've never attended any of the festivals, yet they'd still insisted on our input before making any decision so had called it urgent just to get us here. If they've done that this time then I might just let Kor and Bel cause the destruction they'd wanted to do last time.

"They're such pains in the ass." He complains with a groan as we reach the meeting hall. The servant who'd been escorting us here, despite us knowing the way and been walking here for centuries, bows and leaves with his job done. Entering the Council's room we sit down in two of the three empty seats.

Looking around the rest of the room taking in the familiar faces of the Council, most unchanged through the years. Each race is represented by a Council member and some of them have been there since the Council was established due to their long lives such as the elf, vampire and dragon representatives. The only members that have changed over the years are the dwarves, orcs and humans although at the moment none of them have changed since our last visit.

"Welcome my Lords." The elf representative, my uncle Magor, stands greeting us while the others nod, "Is Lord Ruikor not joining us?"

"No. He's keeping our new mate company while she recovers from the journey." I explain meeting his eyes, "We have been travelling non-stop to get here for your 'urgent' business. So shall we get started Uncle, so we can return to our mates as soon as possible."

"Very well." He says sitting back down. "We wanted you here as Lord Zamora feels it's time for him to retire, another human representative needs to be selected and there's a stalemate over the candidates. We need your help to break it."

"So you had us rush here just days after finding our final mate because you can't make one simple decision?" Bel asks incredulously no doubt annoyed that they called us for this.

"The member of this Council are responsible for ruling this Kingdom." The vampire's representative Raziel tells us as though we don't know this, "Something you refuse to do despite the wishes of the Gods themselves."

"Let's not get off track." Lord Zamora himself speaks up sounding tired but trying to get himself heard, "I'm too old for this now, I want to retire to the country with my wife. To make that possible a replacement needs to be selected so I gave you the names of the two humans in the right position to replace me, yet we've come to a tie. Now that Lords Lilas, Ruikor and Belath are here please decide so I can go and spend time with my grandchildren." Both Bel and I soften hearing him, we've grown used to outliving people but it's still strange seeing the differences as they age.

Lord Zamora joined the Council as a young man having been nominated by the previous human Council member who had seen promise in him despite his young age. Over the years he's been a valuable member of the Council always trying to do his best for the humans he represents. It's strange now though to see him so elderly and ready to retire.

"You've served the Council well Lord Zamora. Don't worry we will see this matter resolved as quickly as possible." I reassure him getting a small quiet nod in return, "Now who are the nominees?"

"Lord Hess and Lord Pearce." The orc councillor Borgan grunts out, he's always been a bit grumpy seeming to hate being on the Council as we do.

"Each has three votes. I, Lord Zamora and Borgan support Lord Hess while the others favour Lord Pearce." Uncle explains giving us a lay of the land. It's not surprising the way they've all voted, those opposing Lord Hess usually vote together and vice versa.