option two >> greet them, don't say what exactly happened but that beetlestar has died suddenly. ask what they were talking about.

       "Hello," Burnetstar meowed, tail high. Eaglestar wrapped his long, plumy gray tail around his paws, letting Swiftstar speak.

      "Is Beetlestar not well?" She meowed, blinking. Burnetstar ducked his head, not letting his eyes meet their piercing gazes.

      "Beetlestar has died." His voice rumbled out of his throat. Swiftstar let out a small gasp.

       "He was so young...." She murmured. "I speak on behalf of GladeClan when I say we are very sorry for your loss." Eaglestar flicked an ear.

       "So that makes you Burnetstar, hm?" The gray tom meowed, the moonlight blending the cream tortoiseshell marks on his fur blend nicely on his thick pelt.

"That's a little inconsiderate, don't you think? He probably didn't want to become leader under these circumstances," Swiftstar murmured sharply. Eaglestar blinked casually.

"Whatever you say...,"

"Speaking of sayings, what were you talking about just now?" Burnetstar sat down, wrapping his tabby tail around his paws and trying to ignore the short lived conversation. Eaglestar arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his muzzle.

"You shouldn't waste your nine lives asking questions like that," a rough purr sounded from the tom's throat, and Swiftstar sat back down as well.

"I just.. I wasn't sure what leaders talk about." Burnetstar shifted his paws, his green gaze shifting between the two leaders. The golden spotted tabby purred softly.

"He's just giving you a rough time. He did it to Beetlestar too, when he became leader, even though Eaglestar himself had only just become leader at the time," she flicked her tail tip dismissively, "I was just telling Eaglestar about my daughter, Dandelionfur, and that she's just become a warrior."

"Oh, that's great..!" Burnetstar pushed out a purr. He didn't care. He glanced over his shoulder to where he knew his warriors were talking freely. Hopefully they all remember their place.... His eyes fell on Cricketpaw, where he was brightly chattering away with some apprentices from GladeClan and CragClan. Snakepaw lay right next to him, the dark gray apprentice's sharp green gaze following his ever move. It wouldn't take much for him to slip up and say something he shouldn't without realizing it.

Eaglestar stood, stretching low to the ground.

"SedimentClan's finally here," he meowed, standing back up and straightening a tuft of fur on the thick collar of fur around his neck.

Burnetstar blinked, cracking open his jaws a group of cats clambered down the rocks from the east. The wind carried the strong scent of creeks and fish, making the ginger leader scrunch his nose.

At the head of the coming Clan was a tall, magnificent tom leading the way. He was a lighter brown with much darker marks masking his face, legs, and tail. His eyes, a sharp blue, stood out on his face. Burnetstar straightened up. Maskedstar. He was one of the only leaders he wasn't quite sure about-- whether he would want to Burnetstar dead or alive for his acts.

       "There's nothing to be afraid of. Eaglestar packs more of a bite than Maskedstar," Swiftstar murmured from where she stood.

        Burnetstar wanted to cuff her ear right off her head for assuming he was afraid of Maskedstar. He blinked slowly though, flicking his tail.

        "Don't let Maskedstar hear you say that," he meowed, his pine green eyes flashing. Eaglestar was already crouching down, ready to leap up the fallen tree by the time SedimentClan's leader had made his way to the fallen tree.

        "Is Beetlestar well?" Maskedstar meowed, his dark ear flicking to the side with confusion. Swiftstar shook her head slowly, looking to the ground suggestively. Maskedstar lowed his head with compassion. I wonder if he would react the same way if he knew just how Beetlestar died.

        "If we wait any longer to start the Gathering it'll be time for Dawn Patrol." Eaglestar meowed sarcastically, still ready to leap up to take his place on the tree. Swiftstar rolled her amber eyes, meowing a yes in reply.

      Eaglestar didn't wait a moment to spring right up to the top, his strong legs propelling him up in an easy jump. He took his place at a spot where there wasn't a single bare branch to block the view, Swiftstar leaping up after him.

       The high moon reflected off the stripped bark of the tree as Burnetstar padded close. He judged the distance, and Maskedstar watched him closely. He took a half-step back, leaping up onto the Leader's Tree. He sat calmly, Maskedstar jumping up to sit on the other side of the newest leader.

       "Let the Gathering begin!" Maskedstar called out. The chatter calmed down to a silence, and Swiftstar flicked her tail, letting the dark pointed tom stand and speak first.

      "All is well in SedimentClan. Redlily has had three healthy kits, Plumkit, Yarrowkit, and Troutkit." Maskedstar sat back down. Burnetstar looked to over to Swiftstar, and she blinked, standing.

"GladeClan is doing fine. A kestrel tried to take one of our kits, but thankfully StarClan protected us and Lotustail saved young Wrenkit. An apprentice of ours is now a warrior, Dandelionfur!" A golden dappled she-cat stood, her puffy fur fluffed out proudly as the Clans chanted her name. "Other than that, rabbits are plentiful as always," the GladeClan leader sat, and Eaglestar stood up. His piercing yellow gaze swept over the gathered cats.

"CragClan hasn't much to report. Prey is running smoothly, and kits are growing in leaps and bounds." The strangely dilute tortoiseshell tom sat down, turning his head to look expectantly at Burnetstar. As soon as the ginger tom stood, moonlight outlining his muscular frame, murmurs rose up.

>> lie and say Beetlestar was killed by Sandwillow, who was then exiled.

       >> tell the truth, that you are leader now since Beetlestar died at your claws.

       >> allude to you being the one to kill Beetlestar, but don't quite straight up say it.

//
I wanted to have this done yesterday, but it ended up being over double the