the bed over to the fireplace. somehow she managed to secure a slender wooden brand and set it on the banked coals. Her trembling fingers took what seemed like hours to transfer the flame to the candle on her bedside table. Finally, light glowed. Her salvation.
A council meeting was called for ten o'clock in the morning. As always, Aurelia was the first to arrive. The room's long mahogany table and matching chairs reflected her father's taste rather than her stepmother's. perhaps elise had found the cramped space not worth changing, or perhaps she feared her husband might move the old, sharp-edged furniture elsewhere.
Aurelia slipped into her favorite seat. she could not sit at the table's ends as those were reserved for her father and stepmother, and she would not sit at the back, neither wanting to be trapped nor to give the impression of hiding. she preferred to sit along the outside at least one chair down from her father. This suited her both because it placed her beside Henry, whom she trusted, and because she was close enough to look her father in the eye.
The captain of the guard and the finance minister arrived next. They scurried behind the table along the wall, burying themselves in the shadows of a thick maroon tapestry. she eyed the captain. The thought of him covering up attempts on her life left a sour film in her throat. Her stomach rolled. everyone attending this meeting--except her--had probably been aware of the danger.
Henry and the general in charge of the military arrived at the same time, followed by elise carrying an opal-colored goblet. Thinking everyone except the king had arrived, Aurelia moved to push in two extra chairs on her right.
"desist!" Chris snatched a chair out of her hand and plopped down on the hard seat. she raised an eyebrow. Henry was always trying to persuade his son to attend meetings in order to "learn through experience," but Chris had not been present for several weeks. she doubted he would ever take over his father's role as king's adviser.
"Thought I'd show robert how the vital decisions are made." Chris motioned toward the door.
she looked up, stunned to see his cousin slip inside the room. "With royal permission, of course," robert said.
elise frowned at Chris, and for a moment Aurelia thought her stepmother might turn robert away because of his cousin's careless attitude; however, the queen's eyes turned to Henry instead, and the joy on the adviser's face must have convinced her to allow his nephew to stay. she stated smoothly, "you are welcome. There is nothing on today's agenda to exclude the presence of a guest. you are Henry's nephew, I believe?"
"yes, your majesty." robert gave a slight bow. "Thank you."
she nodded and turned away.
rather than taking the empty seat beside Chris, robert slid past Aurelia and his uncle without comment. He pulled out the chair across from Henry and scooted it back from the table, burying himself in the corner by the wall. Aurelia quelled an unwanted wave of distress at having been ignored.
Finally, the king entered the room. His gray head hung low, and his feet shuffled. everyone stood up at once upon his entrance. He slumped down at the head of the table and began talking before the rest of the council members even had a chance to return to their seats. "I planned to begin this meeting with your usual reports; however, I have just received troubling news from king edward of Anthone, who is staying with us for a while. He tells me his forces have failed to keep citizens of the Outer realms from entering his country."
robert's head jerked up. Aurelia wondered if robert, too, was thinking of the seaman's story from the day before. It seemed strange that the Outer realms would become the topic of a council meeting this soon after hearing the tale of the refugee boy.
"A shame." elise spoke up. "but edward has never done well protecting his borders. We are fortunate the border we share with Anthone is all desert."
"still there
A council meeting was called for ten o'clock in the morning. As always, Aurelia was the first to arrive. The room's long mahogany table and matching chairs reflected her father's taste rather than her stepmother's. perhaps elise had found the cramped space not worth changing, or perhaps she feared her husband might move the old, sharp-edged furniture elsewhere.
Aurelia slipped into her favorite seat. she could not sit at the table's ends as those were reserved for her father and stepmother, and she would not sit at the back, neither wanting to be trapped nor to give the impression of hiding. she preferred to sit along the outside at least one chair down from her father. This suited her both because it placed her beside Henry, whom she trusted, and because she was close enough to look her father in the eye.
The captain of the guard and the finance minister arrived next. They scurried behind the table along the wall, burying themselves in the shadows of a thick maroon tapestry. she eyed the captain. The thought of him covering up attempts on her life left a sour film in her throat. Her stomach rolled. everyone attending this meeting--except her--had probably been aware of the danger.
Henry and the general in charge of the military arrived at the same time, followed by elise carrying an opal-colored goblet. Thinking everyone except the king had arrived, Aurelia moved to push in two extra chairs on her right.
"desist!" Chris snatched a chair out of her hand and plopped down on the hard seat. she raised an eyebrow. Henry was always trying to persuade his son to attend meetings in order to "learn through experience," but Chris had not been present for several weeks. she doubted he would ever take over his father's role as king's adviser.
"Thought I'd show robert how the vital decisions are made." Chris motioned toward the door.
she looked up, stunned to see his cousin slip inside the room. "With royal permission, of course," robert said.
elise frowned at Chris, and for a moment Aurelia thought her stepmother might turn robert away because of his cousin's careless attitude; however, the queen's eyes turned to Henry instead, and the joy on the adviser's face must have convinced her to allow his nephew to stay. she stated smoothly, "you are welcome. There is nothing on today's agenda to exclude the presence of a guest. you are Henry's nephew, I believe?"
"yes, your majesty." robert gave a slight bow. "Thank you."
she nodded and turned away.
rather than taking the empty seat beside Chris, robert slid past Aurelia and his uncle without comment. He pulled out the chair across from Henry and scooted it back from the table, burying himself in the corner by the wall. Aurelia quelled an unwanted wave of distress at having been ignored.
Finally, the king entered the room. His gray head hung low, and his feet shuffled. everyone stood up at once upon his entrance. He slumped down at the head of the table and began talking before the rest of the council members even had a chance to return to their seats. "I planned to begin this meeting with your usual reports; however, I have just received troubling news from king edward of Anthone, who is staying with us for a while. He tells me his forces have failed to keep citizens of the Outer realms from entering his country."
robert's head jerked up. Aurelia wondered if robert, too, was thinking of the seaman's story from the day before. It seemed strange that the Outer realms would become the topic of a council meeting this soon after hearing the tale of the refugee boy.
"A shame." elise spoke up. "but edward has never done well protecting his borders. We are fortunate the border we share with Anthone is all desert."
"still there
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