Chapter 26

“Your mother was beautiful.” Alona said softly.

Chase hugged her against his side. “Yes, she was.”

I stood off to the side, out of the way and looked up at the portrait now hanging behind the thrones. The couple in the portrait were regal and elegant. The king sat on the throne, his black hair dark against the silver crown. I couldn’t decide which brother most looked like him, they all had some feature in common. The woman standing beside him was a young version of Mitz, her long, wavy red hair hung gracefully down her back.

“I don’t want our official portrait to be formal like that.” Alona told Chase. “I want it by the lavender gardens, perhaps sitting on a bench.” She smiled at him. “Dressed to the nines with crowns gleaming in the sunlight.”

“You will look ravishing, beloved.” Lifting her hand, Chase kissed it tenderly.

“What official portraits?” Daxx asked loudly.

Chase gave his twin a quick look. “All royal members have them painted once mated.”

Daxx turned to Troy, her hands on her hips. “I am not wearing a gown or a crown.”

Troy opened his mouth, then closed it.

She turned to Troy. “As the long-awaited huntress queen, I'll be in my leathers for ours.”

Smirking Chase looked at his brother. “I think that's fitting, don't you brother king? The night king and his queen in their battle attire.”

Troy nodded slowly. “I'm actually liking the idea.”

Daxx gave a quick nod, then turned to look at the room.

Chairs lined the back wall, with a table making a large square in the middle. Off to the one side was a large map and several smaller ones.

“I approve of using this room,” Victor motioned to the thrones and portrait at the far end, “with our parents overlooking the proceedings.” 

“Yes. Well done, Alona.” Troy nodded.

Alona smiled. “It was the perfect space for meeting.”

Someone cleared their throat.

Elder Roan stood in the open doorway. He bowed at the waist, “your majesties.”

“It’s no longer the throne room. It’s now just our council room.” Victor said.

“Or, war room currently.” Leone grinned at him.

“I was told I was required to be here at this time.” Elder Roan inclined his head, “how can I be of service?”

Chase took a step forward, but Alona put her hand out and stopped him before he could go any further. 

“Please take a seat.” Troy motioned to the table. “Any one is fine, there are no formal seating arrangements here.”

The next few minutes were filled with the sound of chairs scraping the floor. Even with all seated, half of the large table and chairs were empty. 

“Your majesties.”

I turned to see the rest of the elders standing in the doorway.

“Come in and sit down.” Chase told them, then gave his mate a curious look.

Alona smiled at Elder Roan. “I thought perhaps we'd include all in this, to save repeating our findings.”

Elder Roan nodded, “as you wish my queen.”

“This is a perfect room for large meetings.” Elder Landry said looking around.

“Yes,” Elder Varus nodded, “and very fitting.” She lifted her chin, motioning to the portrait.

I glanced to Izzy, she gave me a small smile. She had been there with Nelson and knew what was coming. As did the elder’s Marinus and Segos, who, I noted, didn’t look as enthused as the others.

“Findings?” Elder Drusla asked in a stern voice. “What you discovered from Nelson Bosworth?”

“Yes.” Victor nodded, then looked at Troy.

Troy sat forward in his chair. “Before we get to that, the teams will be hitting the tunnel from the city as well as the exit tomorrow.”

“My king,” Elder Segos stood up. “I would like to be part of that.”

“Wulf,” Elder Varus said, “as an elder, you do not participate in warfare any longer.”

The hardened warrior shook his head. “I took a seat on this council to do my part in protecting this realm and others.” He looked around at his peers. “I have been sitting in that seat for three hundred years, Dyota, I think we can all agree that every blade in required in this battle. Winning is imperative to all who survive. My blades will be included in ensuring this victory.” He shrugged. “Should I fall, there are more than enough others with the proper credentials to fill my seat.” He bowed his head to Troy and sat down.

Elder Varus looked at Troy and then Chase. “While I agree with the importance of ending this, I cannot agree with members of the elder’s council fighting in it.” She took a deep breath. “Your inclusion is entirely up to our kings.”

Elder Marinus stood up. “I offer my blade for the good of the realm.” He inclined his head and sat down.

Elder Drusla stood up, looking excited. “Don’t think you two get to have all the fun.” She bowed her head abruptly to Daxx. “My service will always be available for any battle our Royals take part in.” She sat back down.

Daxx turned to Troy, who looked down the table at Victor. Victor gave a slight nod.

“It would be our honor to fight alongside all three of you.” Troy turned and looked at Rafael.

Rafael nodded. “We could use more seasoned fighters at the exit end of the tunnel with Captain Welsley.”

Elder Drusla gave an abrupt nod.

“We would be honored.” Elders Segos looked very pleased.

Elder Faran looked at Crissy, “has our seer any insights into this battle tomorrow?”

Crissy looked at her for a moment. “Nothing complete.”

“Ah,” the elder looked pleased, “inconclusive visions are the best ones, as the fates haven’t decided, so the outcomes can still change.”

I had no idea what that meant. I looked over at Paisley, who gave me a shrug. She didn’t either.

“What else did you find from Nelson?” Elder Moire asked. “Anything of Arwan or Willis Hubert?”

“I’m afraid not, Ryce, there was no hint of that in his thoughts.” Izzy told him.

“Were you able to see anything, my King?” Elder Moire asked Troy.

“I did.” Troy said in a quiet tone. “It answered many questions on several levels.”

“Oh?” Elder Roan leaned forward, “and how is that?”

Troy cleared his throat. “For as long as we’ve been aware of the situation with Willis Hubert, we have been trying to figure out how they were able to infiltrate our inner chambers and information system.” He paused and looked at Michael for a moment. “The revelation pertaining to Arwan, and the possibility that he has been walking among us cloaked all this time,” he looked at his own hands clasped in front of him on the table, “has filled in many gaps and theories.”

I watched most of the elder’s nod and agree with their king, excepting those present in the cells during the questioning. They were all looking at Elder Roan, knowing what was coming.

Troy continued. “I was able to see someone in Nelson’s memories that, to be honest, shocked me more than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I’ve been seeing something lost, that isn’t.” Crissy interrupted, “then I saw more pieces and it’s not a what,” She nodded and leaned over to pick up her pack, “it’s a who.” She opened the bag and started rummaging, “there are more pieces, but they don’t fit yet,” she pulled out a textbook, “I’m still working on those.” She nodded and took out a worn notebook.

I looked to see all the elders hung on her every word. They didn’t seem confused or annoyed but were giving her their absolute attention. I realized then what Crissy had said was true. Here, in this other realm, she was not only allowed to be herself, but accepted and respected.

Flipping through the book, she nodded when she stopped on a page. “I didn’t know the face,” she shrugged, “how could I, there are too many faces in my head.” She turned more pages in her notebook, “some appear, and I never see them again.” She stopped and looked up. “I had to get a book about stones, and thought it was a tiger’s eye I kept seeing.” She shook her head, “but it wasn’t.” She held up the textbook. “It was a star sunstone.” Crissy set the book down and held up her notebook so everyone could see the sketch. “It’s very pretty and he still wears it.”

Elder Roan leaned forward onto the table, his already pale skin blanching even further. “Princess,” he swallowed visibly, then looked at Troy, “my king, who did you see?” His voice sounded breathless.

“Nathas.” Troy said clearly. “I saw your son, Nathas Roan.”

Elder Roan covered his mouth for a second. “Is-is he…”

Troy shook his head. “He was very much alive.”

The shock on the Elders face was clear. “What-what,” he looked from Troy to Crissy, “what is the connection?”

“My friend,” Elder Marinus looked across the table to Elder Roan, “Turbert, we do not have any details at this time.”

Elder roan nodded.

“He could be spelled, as Eunice was.” Izzy offered.

“Yes.” Elder roan whispered, then looked back to Crissy, “May I see your sketch? What you saw?”

Crissy nodded and knelt on the chair, she stretched to hand the book to Bethany, two chairs away from the shell-shocked elder, who reached for the sketch.

His hands shook as he studied the drawing. He nodded and gave the book back to Bethany. “It is the pendant his mother gave him when he was a child.” Taking a deep breath, he looked at Troy. “I’d like to go tell his mother, her child, missing for eighty years, is not dead.”

Troy studied him for a moment, then turned to Victor.

Victor sat forward in his seat, “while I cannot begin to grasp what you are feeling,” he quickly looked to Elder Varus, “we must ask that you keep this information between your mate and yourself.”

Elder Roan just sat there.

“Turbert,” Elder Varus gave him and empathetic look, “until we understand the scope of Nathas’ involvement, no one else can know.”

Elder Roan nodded slowly. “Yes. Yes, of course. I-I understand.” He stood up slowly.

Elder Nodin got up. “Allow me to accompany you, old friend.”

Elder Roan nodded; pained emotions easy to read on his face. He turned to the door, then paused and turned back. He bowed his head. “Your majesties.”

The room was silent as all watched him leave.

“I feel like I’ve been hit with a laser blast.” Elder Arian said quietly.

“We’re all stunned, Cyril,” Elder Drusla said, nodding her head slowly.

Taking a moment, Elder Varus smoothed her hands over her hair as if she felt unkempt, yet there wasn’t a hair out of place. “Was there anything else?” She finally asked while looking at Troy.

Troy shook his head. “Nothing of importance.”

Rafael stood up. “As you know we’re planning a take a team to the facility where Kara was held.” He looked down at me for a several seconds before continuing. “Aside from warriors, we’re going to need others to go with us.”

Michael stood up. “We’re not certain in what state any from Alterealm will be in, if they’re still there, but we’ll need to be prepared for all possibilities.”

“How are we going to decide who is from here?” Bethany asked.

Elder Drusla grinned. “I’m sure that seeing the entire royal family descend upon the facility will be all that is required.”

Elder Arian nodded. “I agree, but I could whip up a portable scanner that would work like the one in the intake cells.” She looked at Rafael, “in case fellow Alterealm residents are incapacitated.”

Rafael abruptly nodded in acknowledgment. “If you could adjust one of the port boxes to send directly to the medical wing, that would make things easier.”

“You can change mine.” Leone said as he nodded at his brother.

The elder smiled. “I’ll get to work on that immediately.”

Elder John looked to Michael. “I will assist the medical staff to prepare for possible incoming patients and to prepare a contingency plan.”

Rafael sat down.

The room was silent.

“If that’s everything,” Troy glanced around, “I suggest we adjourn until we meet at the guard’s yard.” He looked over at Elder Segos. “The team going to the exit point will be going over first.”

Elder Segos nodded. “We will be there.” He looked at Elders’ Marinus and Drusla. They nodded in unison.