Page 80 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

Straight ahead was his throne with a smaller seat next to it for his consort, but he did not sit in that elevated seat. Rather, he brought the witch around to the empty side of the long table that stood before the throne. He pulled out the middle chair which faced the other council members who had risen at his entrance. He ignored them as he got his mate situated, and then took up a position behind her, his hands resting on the back of her chair. Standing over the table with his throne behind him was decidedly more intimidating than sitting in said throne.

I took my position with the otherskiáat the edge of the room with the best vantage for watching Riordan’s back.

“Sit,” the king invited the council members who were not supposed to be seated while he remained on his feet. But they did as they were asked with glances at one another. At least Dio seemed happy to see Riordan and grinned at hisskiáwho stood near me against the wall. I could tell the Commander of Erétria looked forward to seeing the king bring order to the council.

Riordan took a moment to take in the nine members of the council. I was familiar enough with these meetings to know there were two representatives from each of the other fourcity-states: an oligarch and a commander. There was also the commander of the capital, and the monarch was the head of the council, bringing their total number to ten including Riordan who replaced his mother. Although I was still surprised that she had not attended at least this once since it was his first meeting. Even just to observe the symbolism of passing the council to him.

“It is good of you to finally join us, Your Majesty,” noted Castor with typical, underhanded sass, but Riordan did not spare him a glance. Myskiáhad become focused on his cousin, Nikos, who sat quite comfortably in the seat of the Commander of Kórinthos.

Riordan’s old seat.

“I am here in the stead of Commander Sebastian who is not proficient on the stairs,” explained Nikos when he realized he was the focus of the king.

I guess we know why that old bastard was appointed. Nikos pulling strings to get on the council,I thought to Riordan who concurred mentally.

“I apologize if I am impertinent, Your Majesty, but I always thought only oligarchs, commanders, and all theirskiácould attend council meetings,” said Isaura Kontos. The Oligarch of Thíva had her eyes on the witch in front of Riordan, who had also noted the other woman’s gaze. But to her credit, this time she did not flinch under the scrutiny and disapproval. Perhaps she had gained some confidence after accepting Riordan.

“You are not impertinent,” said the king, speaking in Gaelic for his mate to understand. “But it is also tradition for Royal Consorts to attend these meetings.”

“But she is not yet—” Isaura began to protest.

“Amira will be learning Aeolian soon, but for now, please use Gaelic for her,” Riordan interrupted.

Several council members hissed in displeasure, and I thought Nikos might snap the wooden arms off his chair. But Isaura inclined her head grudgingly in agreement.

“She is not yet your mate, Your Majesty,” the oligarch declared in Gaelic. “Additionally, we understood that we would be given an opportunity here to address concerns we all have about her… potential appointment.”

“You understood correctly. It is usual in our society for someone to be present when allegations are made against them so they may address the charges,” said Riordan.

“We have private matters to discuss,” insisted Castor, his voice clipped, but he did speak in Gaelic which truly surprised me. “Sensitive matters that should not be made into a spectacle for a potential enemy.”

“Do you mean our abysmal defenses that utterly failed to protect the Oighear Pixies yesterday?” Riordan asked. “Or do you refer to the systematic suppression of so many of the most talented members of our society who could have helped to prevent that tragedy? Worry not, Amira is alreadywellaware of our shortcomings.”

Castor opened his mouth but could not seem to find any words to respond.

“What happened to those poor pixies was regrettable,” said Nikos without an ounce of real sympathy. “But it was an appropriate sacrifice when the security of our cities was at an unprecedented risk from internal upheaval.”

“Ah, yes, your claims about dissension,” said Riordan, barely managing to keep the disgusted snarl out of his voice this time. “Do you have proof of this dissension? Documented riots, property damage, loss of life, assaults? Anyconcreteevidence? Because the testimonies I have gathered tell a different story. And the consequences of your paranoid response to imaginedthreats in this city cost those pixies their lives,” Riordan declared.

“I am not responsible— This isnotwhat we wanted to discuss today!” Nikos exclaimed, looking at his fellow council members as if expecting assistance, but they were surprisingly passive. Even Castor did not deign to speak. “This meeting was to be about howyouelevated so many of the Ktínos above their natural place, and how it almost cost us this city,” Nikos pressed on determinedly. “It was about how you always choose Ktínos andwitchesabove your own kind, and how you are not fit to be our king!”

Such a denouncement was treasonous, and yet none of the other council members voiced an opinion aside from Dio’s taunting smile. They merely looked at Riordan with their calculating expressions and waited to see what he would do while Nikos gaped at them all in confusion.

He is the only one here who is not legally a part of this council, so they have opted to sacrifice him as a test to see how I will react,Riordan explained.

I was astonished to realize he was right. The councillors were taking the measure of their new king after he spent so long away. They wanted to know if he would rampage at the slightest provocation like he might have done many years ago. They weretestinghim at the expense of Nikos who not only did not belong. He was surely the only one who was foolish and desperate enough to oust Riordan to fall for their ruse. He was the only one who would believe the King’s Council would entertain, even for a moment, supporting his anarchy. But of course none of them were so brave nor so foolish to actually do that.

Many of them did not like my king personally, but they still understood he was king. The power of the Vale had passed to him, they would feel it in his veins. Not only that, but to openlyoppose the man who commanded the unflinching loyalty of the vast majority of the army would have been utter madness.

So they opted to test him. To give him an opportunity to prove that he was levelheaded and canny enough.

Nikos was too blinded by hatred to see it. He believed so strongly in his democratic manipulations that he had miscalculated. And he hadn’t realized until it was too late, and he was left staring at the other councillors in horror.

Riordan did not appear pleased, although I could feel his satisfaction down the bond as he faced his cousin.

“I will discuss my mate and any other concerns that the council haswith the council. You, however,willtake accountability for the lives that have been lost, since you have no evidence to support your claims of dissension,” Riordan maintained.

Nikos went very still, his jaw clenched so tight that the muscles in his neck stood out.

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