The Divide

Chapter Six: Aurora

"You know him?" I whisper furiously across the table to my father. "How could you not tell me that?"

My father doesn't take his eyes off the crowds before him. Now that I'm no longer in such close quarters with the Captain, Papa seems to have relaxed a little bit. Mama is mingling with the guests, ever the social butterfly, and Auralis is doing the same. Papa rarely leaves the table at events like these. Most of the time, I'm by his side or with my friends. The Aurorians in this room typically bore me; they're not on my level. They worry about menial things. It's only now that the Greymorians are here that things seem different.

"It didn't seem like a particularly important detail," Papa slowly drawls.

My lips part in a mix of shock and outrage. I know that's not true---it can't be true. Papa has kept this information from me for some reason and I have to wonder if there's more to the story than I've been told. How could Papa banish his friend? I can understand that Captain Murchadh's crime was serious: it's not every day that a member of the elite steals a ship and has to be rescued from Greymoore, a country which even then was populated by brigands and thieves. But there had to have been a better punishment.

Unless...

Had my father had wanted the Captain gone for some reason?

"You know how I feel about Greymoore," I respond. "Captain Murchadh's exile is the most outrageous thing to happen this century, and you---you're telling me he was your friend, that you exiled him regardless---"

"What difference does it make now, Aurora?" Papa asks as he turns to look at me, his hushed tone filled with frustration. "He is still here. He is still negotiating with us in regards to trade. I thought that would be enough for you."

"It makes all the difference, Papa, and it will never be enough, not until—"

"Until the people of Greymoore are free to roam as they see fit, I know. We have discussed this before and we will discuss this again. My answer will always remain the same. It is too dangerous; what if the Greymorians decide to attack once they're free? I won't put my peoples' lives in danger---"

"They wouldn't be in danger in the first place if the stupid law hadn't been passed."

"That is not my doing," Papa reminds me.

My brows rise pointedly. "You are not void of guilt. None of us are. Not even me."

Papa sucks in a breath. He turns away from me to assess the ongoing gathering once more, but in reality I know he's merely mustering up patience. He brings his goblet to his lips and pauses for a few long seconds before he turns to incline his head in my direction, but his gaze does not meet my own.

"The only reason this gathering is happening is because it is your brother's wish. When he is king, he'll be free to make his own dangerous decisions. Speak to him about this all you like, as I know you two have in the past, but I won't argue with you about this for the hundredth time over. You have made your dissatisfaction clear."

"Papa—"

"Now is not the time to argue, Aurora. Please," Papa says, his voice clear with exasperation, "we have guests. I would have thought you'd be getting to know them by now."

I force myself to take a breath, an attempt to dampen the irritation running through my system. As much as I'm irritated with him right now, he's right. Like I said to Captain Murchadh earlier, I've removed myself from the celebrations for too long. While typically I like to sit at our table looking high and mighty, there are a few people--the key word being few--here that I do genuinely enjoy talking to.