"I cannot allow this!" Kallah shouted.

Luric frowned at the ranting queen. "Ah...Your Majesty, the council will make a joint decision on this matter."

Kallah's nostrils flared in fury. "You can't possibly consider allowing such an impractical and futile quest."

Luric fell silent, waiting for the queen of Celeblas to take her seat. She did so grudgingly, glaring at Eramire.

Clearing his throat, Luric stood and looked around at the council members. "We will hear all that Eramire has to say, and then we will vote on the matter." He motioned for Eramire to stand, and he took his seat.

Eramire could feel her hands shaking. Kallah was going to fight hard to make sure they didn't go anywhere, and Eramire wasn't sure she had enough proof to argue a solid case. But she had no choice; she had to try.

"I have come before the council today to ask for support in a quest to the great kingdom of Taiman. We have reason to believe there is a tome written by Amara's grandfather there."

"And what led you to believe such a thing?" Luric asked quietly.

Eramire looked at Kallah. The elf queen's face was a devoid of expression. Per the king's request they had agreed not to reveal Kallah's part in the misplacement of the book, but the lie they had come up with was flimsy at best. Eramire doubted the council would believe it.

"Amara's father sent the book away for safekeeping. He sent it with a shipment of books, hoping it would reach Taiman safely and be lost among the countless scrolls and other volumes they keep in the great library of their city."

The council members murmured among themselves for a moment, and Eramire chanced one more look at Kallah. The elf queen glared at her and looked away. Eramire felt her heart sink as Luric cleared his throat.

"Eramire, why is this book so important?"

"It contains everything about the stones and her kingdom that Amara should've learned when she reached her eighteenth year."

"And if it was so important to Amara's upbringing, why was all this information suddenly shipped off to Taiman for safekeeping?"

Silence weighed heavy on the room as Eramire formulated her answer. She didn't want to tell them the truth. "Because...because someone told King Breg the end of the age of the stones was approaching. He didn't want Amara to bear the weight of such a task. So he sent the book away, hoping that if his daughter was ignorant of her destiny, perhaps he could prevent it."

"Who was this man, Eramire? Who could be so convincing as to make a king act so rashly?"

Murmuring broke out again, and Eramire for once wished the others would not quiet. The worry of spies pricked in her mind, and she looked at the council members wondering if she could trust them. She didn't want to answer Luric's question.

"Eramire," Luric insisted.

"Goroth. We believe the man who visited King Breg was Goroth."

Shouts erupted through the Hall of the Mallospen, ricocheting off the walls, creating a deafening din of echoes.

"Quiet!"

Everyone ceased their shouting and looked to Luric. "Eramire," said the elf elder. "You mean to tell me King Breg was approached by Goroth long before the overthrow?"

Eramire nodded. "When Amara was young, he came to propose an alliance with King Breg. What he wanted in return, I don't know, but he must have promised to save Amara from her fate. But her father refused the idea and sent Goroth away several times."

"At least that is what Amara claims," Kallah said, speaking for the first time.

Eramire could hardly contain her fury. The conniving witch was going to ruin everything. She was lying for the queen of Celeblas and still the woman wouldn't keep her mouth shut.

Kallah looked around at the others. "It's true, is it not? We only have the young woman's word that her father did not consider Goroth's offer. There is almost nothing a parent won't do to save their child." She met Eramire's eyes, the older queen's glittered with hatred.

"We cannot support this mission to Taiman. Our relationship with them has always been strained at best. Even if you sent a formal party, I doubt you will gain entrance. We must focus on our own kingdom. After all, our borders are shared with Goroth. If he is preparing for war, we should be too."

Sounds of agreement washed over the council. Eramire's mind raced, searching for the words to argue her point further.

"If we don't go after the tome and it should fall into Goroth's hands, it will be another valuable relic we have allowed him to take without even lifting a finger," said Eramire, looking around at the others. But she slowly realized they cared nothing about the tome. She would waste precious time arguing with them any longer.

"I will not stand by and do nothing about this. We all had this dream for a reason. Amara needs our help, and if you are all going to sit back and wait until the danger is on our doorstep, fine. But I will not—cannot—ignore what I saw."

Eladra stood slowly. "What do you mean to do, my dear?"

Eramire stared at her mother. And for a moment, her courage waned. But as she met the old elf woman's eyes, she did not see the disappointment she had expected. Instead she saw pride.

Eramire realized then that she was going to walk this path alone. The others would not change their minds. The council would not be her support. She would support herself like the ruler she was, acting in the best interest of her people whether they saw it that way or not.

"I will go to Taiman without permission or support from the council," Eramire said.

Gasps and whispers echoed through the room. Luric covered his face and looked through his fingers at Eladra, who had taken her seat. The pride Eramire had seen was now expertly hidden, and the elf sorceress nodded at Luric.

He sighed, expression resigned. "Then it is to my great misfortune to inform you, Lady Eramire, that you are to be removed from your chair on the council. It will be one of my deepest regrets, I am sure, but I cannot abide your actions, and neither can the council."

Eramire had known these words would come, but her heart still felt crushed beneath them, and the prick of hot tears was surprising. She blinked them away and without another word bowed and left the Hall of the Mallospen.

***

Eramire sniffed and exhaled shakily. She clenched her hand over her heart. She was sure it was breaking. Her whole life she had dreamed of being a member of the Sanarian Council. There was no greater honor for a healer. She had waited so long to be a part of it, practiced and studied potions and herbs tirelessly, but just like that, the span of two decades of membership dissipated like a morning fog.

The door creaked, and she whirled around. In the doorway stood Thorindir.

"Earwen told me what happened." He took in her swollen eyes and red nose. Smiling sadly, he asked, "May I come in?"

Eramire nodded, sniffling and dabbing her nose with a handkerchief. She sat on her bed, looking out at the large glass doors to the balcony.

Thorindir sat next to her. He leaned forward, clasping his hands between his knees. "Eramire, you have done many great things in your short life," Thorindir said, looking up at the elf queen. "You are a magnificent ruler, and your people love you."

Eramire sighed. "I know what you are going to say," she said, looking down at the lace square in her hand. "That this one stain on my record doesn't mean I have failed at my duty."

Thorindir smirked. "That wasn't what I was going to say at all."

Eramire frowned and met his blue eyes. "Then what?"

He smiled and stood, moving so he was directly in front of her. He reached out and tipped her chin up so she could not look away. "You are a wonderful queen and have done many great things. But I have never been so proud of you as I am this day."

Eramire was baffled. "But why?"

Thorindir was smiling at her with such love and adoration it made her heart hurt. He moved to kneel before her, taking her hands. "Eramire. You are brave and you are kind. But more than anything, you are driven by an overwhelming sense of propriety. I knew someday you would have to choose between what everyone expected you to do and what you thought was right."

Eramire stared down at the elf general holding her hands, his eyes shining with the same pride she had seen in her mother's.

"So you think I made the right decision?"

"Of course."

"Then you will come with me to Taiman?"

Thorindir laughed. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." 

Thank you so much for reading!

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