A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 106

Juhna 24th,3330 A.G

  "What in the god's names took you so long?" Nara frowned, looking up at Andre. He looked like he'd run here when he was done.... Doing whoever he were doing, from the state of his hair. "Even Eudo were faster."

At the comment Eudo struggled not to laugh; walking on his own were still quite difficult and he'd been with Andruche when a servant came to inform them the queen's entire council had been called. When Eudo tried to argue that he was not a part of the queen's council anymore, that his leg prevented him from performing his duties as a member of the Queensguard- the servant had only seemed confused.

'The giant did not crush your skull, did it? Then your mind still works. Don't be stupid.' The girl reminded Eudo of himself at that age, so much so that he hadn't argued when she and Andruche helped him to the great hall.

As it happened, they were sat at the end of the table nearer to Avelyn and her companion Loys. To their left were Tuyon and Uwen- whom Nara briefly noticed also had dishelved looking hair, across from them Ysmen and Maude. Most were intelligent enough to have been hasty about their arrivals, and all who might have had something to say were invited- but that weren't the only reason.

The more witnesses to such a historic meeting the better. The more voices, even if they didn't happen to say anything useful- the better.

Eudo shifted in his seat- it still hurt to put pressure on the wooden leg as it pressed into his stump, and awaited Andre's response as everyone at the table seemed to be doing.

"I was...." Andre's voice trailed off as he sat, taking his seat to Nara and Renard's right at the table head opposite from Avelyn Whittaker."otherwise occupied. I.... Came as quickly as I could."

Eudo absolutely lost it. It took a stern look from Nara, the threat in those eyes- to bring his focus back.

Nara cleared her throat. "You are all here today for what I hope is a damned good reason. Talk."

  She'd looked directly at Avelyn with that last word, and everything in the girl seemed to resist being told what to do- especially by her queen.... But she did not disobey the order.

  Bite your tongue- Avelyn told  herself. Do what is commanded of you, and wait until the time is right.

   Getting a dagger into her throat would be the easy part. Getting out of the damned great hall alive would be the difficult- with how many of her greatest warriors were concentrated at the very table she sat. To Nara's left were the young warrior- the very same whom Avelyn had been forced to listen to rumors of since she pulled what she did in Sharean. Everywhere in the world, from whorehouses in Dedor to the temple in Praris- people spoke of what she'd done. Everything in Avelyn said to hate the girl for her association with Nara and Renard Ashhand- with the exception of one small voice.

  She were so young- and yet she'd achieved so much. While most lords and ladies knew it after what happened to her father, Avelyn's name weren't common knowledge amongst the common people of the world.

  Hopefully, what she would pull after or during this second Sharenian battle would change that.

  Avelyn took a deep breath and made sure to make eye contact with each person at the table as she spoke, and she did not spare the details- the important ones at least.

  "My husband went to Sharean to.... Seek an alliance with our sister there. We'd heard that after the battle there, she were secretly ruling in place of her husband- that over the first year of her rule, she slowly transitioned to being the public ruler too, in a way that the men of sharean would except. She allowed them to see her strengths slowly, so that they were not threatened by it and their minds started to change- I'm getting to the point, I promise."