Nightblade's End by Ryan Kirk

Author:Ryan Kirk [Kirk, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Waterstone Media
Published: 2019-03-30T16:00:00+00:00

Mari awoke to a gentle shifting beside her. Her eyes snapped open, and she realized with a start that she’d fallen asleep on Takahiro. Apparently, her head had slid down until it was resting on his lap. She blinked away the sleep and sat up. She felt ashamed. To sleep against Takahiro, of all people.

“I’m sorry. How long did I sleep?”

His grin was soft. “Almost the whole morning. I decided you should probably have some time to get ready before the council meeting.”

She couldn’t believe she’d slept most of the morning. She’d been tired, of course. “Why did you let me sleep so long?”

“You needed it.”

She hated to admit it, but he was right. She felt better after the nap than she’d felt in days. “Thank you. I’m sorry for falling asleep against you.”

“I didn’t mind.”

Mari heard something else in those words, something she hadn’t expected to hear from Takahiro. But she shook her head. She needed to focus on the council meeting. “I’ll meet you in the chambers.”

Takahiro nodded and stood to leave. Before he stepped out, Mari spoke softly. “Thank you, again.”

Her adviser bowed, then stepped out the door. Mari saw the guards outside and wondered what they thought.

She couldn’t worry about such problems right now. She needed to worry about the council. They needed news of Isau’s death and her decision to retreat. She didn’t expect that it would be a pleasant meeting.

By the time she’d bathed quickly and changed, the meeting was almost about to start. She made her way through the hallways until she reached the council room, then took a moment to compose herself before stepping in.

As usual, the council room was a hive of activity. Given that the meeting was about to start, she was among the last to arrive. Normally, that would have bothered her, but today she was grateful for the rest she’d gotten. The nobles clumped in small groups, and Mari could see that the divisions among her council were as strong as ever.

She classified the nobles into three groups. One group supported her. Their head was Arata, and their support was the backbone of her rule. Yoshinori headed those who were against her. But there was a third group, more undecided than the rest. Their support could swing either way, and that made Mari nervous. For now, they backed her, as no one openly opposed her. But their continued support was far from certain.

A few other nobles arrived and the meeting began. They began with official, regular reports. Nothing was reported that wasn’t already known, but the nobles had the opportunity to ask questions and get more details. Most of the information had to do with food distribution and tax collection. Important, but far from exciting.

Next came the issue of Isau. Mari stared longingly at the place where he had knelt at the table. She missed his vocal support already. “Ceremonies for Isau will be held in two nights’ time. Notices have been posted throughout Stonekeep. We will celebrate his life.

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