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The servants likely wouldn’t bother poking and prodding much for information on what Kael and Laurent were discussing; the two faeries had perfected the art of whoring themselves out in the eyes of the Fae Courts, and now were regarded as little more than flirtatious, haughty cads. On a superficial level, perhaps their opinions of Kael and Laurent were accurate. They both loved three things in particular: sex, socializing, and liquor. And while they both appreciated the finer things in life, Laurent knew that there was a hidden depth to Kael, just as there was a hidden depth to himself; Sophia, perhaps, was one of the only people in their world who had seen both sides of both men. A rather strange thought, considering Laurent was glowering at his friend and demanding information about said woman.
“I did hear about the upcoming nuptials between de Clare and Mac Alistair, by the way,” he began, his voice quiet to evade any of the lingering servants who might be curious about the affairs Kael and Laurent were currently engaging in. He leaned back in his chair as he handed Kael the notes from the council meeting, pondering the union of two such houses. “Dorian told me himself. I can’t gauge his opinion on it, precisely, but what do you think that means for us? For the cause?” Laurent placed his hand on his chin, lost in thought as he tried to identify the strengths and weaknesses of both the Mac Alistair and de Clare clans. “I can’t decide whether or not the Mac Alistairs should be trusted; as large and influential a family they are, none of them are remotely predictable. Particularly Sorcha and Aiden.”
“I don’t care that the vampire agreed to it; I care that I was across the country, on business for our cause, and no one bothered to inform me what was going on,” Laurent said, his nostrils flaring slightly with irritation as he clutched his hands in his lap. He had been trying to wrap his mind around the fact ever since he’d heard of Sophia’s abrupt marriage to the vampire king; Kael spoke of it with bitterness and regret, but where did those feelings get either of them? Sophia was still gone–forever, more than likely, married to a powerful immortal from another court entirely. Would she ever come to the spring courts again? Would she ever feel the sunshine on her skin and experience the delicious magic that Faerie had to offer? He cocked his head when Kael apologized for not stopping it. “Why didn’t you stop it? What kept you, if I may ask? Please, I just–need to know. I need to know that my daughter is alright. I need to know I can see her again.”
The Grand Duke thought about the upcoming nupitals, which while entertaining, certainly came with the sort of ramifications that the both of them needed to be privy to. “What it means it that I’ve a strong reason to revisit my old court, though it’s been some time since I’ve called it home.“ Growing up a bastard had left him stuck between courts, as was common for their kind, but what the High Court offered had always been far more appealing, especially when it had a throne waiting for him. “Spring and Winter have always been favourable to us. Perhaps there is a new opportunity for Fall to follow. Certainly, you see the appeal of having the Mac Alistairs on our side.” It couldn’t be denied that the famed fae clan was among the stronger of the seasonal families. Nor could their positions be ignored. “It would be a risk, to move too quickly with them, but the rewards would be well worth it.” His sister’s lady-in-waiting, one of her guards, the other representative on the council and the court hunter. They would be an army in their own right, with some convincing. “Allow me to deal with de Clare for now. If you can get a feel for how our fellow representative feels about recent affairs, we can determine a time to act. The engagement may make laird Sorcha a bit more willing to bargain.”
Laurent’s displeasure with the current situation with Sophia was more than justified. To have been away on a mission while his daughter was handed off to a complete stranger was reason enough to be angry. Kael had dwelled on it himself, on countless nights, wondering if there was something that could have been done to change the outcome of the wedding. Would it have been right, to reveal his hand so soon? Would it have changed anything? As much as he had wanted to give his friend a confident answer, there simply wasn’t one to be had. “Believe me, I protested it, but my sister was dead set in her decision to see this through. The only thing that may have changed the course of things was if I revealed my hand preemptively. But without you there, and the rest of our allies far from the courts, it would have only set us back further.”Â
He paused a moment, a quiet sigh escaping him. It wasn’t right, to keep one of his most trusted confidants in the dark entirely. “For what it’s worth. I know Gabriel. He’s many things, but he wouldn’t let harm come to her. He’s the sort who takes his duties seriously.” Albeit, it didn’t mean he was always the most affectionate person in the world, nor did it provide him with a sense of good judgement. The fact he had willingly entered into an alliance with Giselle proved that. Painfully. “As for Sophia...” Kael lowered his voice. Even if the glamour was functioning well, this wasn’t something he wanted to be overheard. “She is well. Lonely, as Gabriel is not particularly fond of close contact, but well nonetheless. I can attest to that personally.”
