” Shouldn’t that be the case?
People who work in these places usually have their backgrounds checked when they’re chosen, and they should be monitored for some time after they start working.
If they were spies from the beginning, they would eventually be exposed.”
She continued absentmindedly, her eyes wandering around the room.
“And if someone reaches them after they’ve already started working, it should still be possible to find them.
”
“The methods here are primitive, so if they want to send information, they would need to pass it through someone or use something like a bird.
They’d have to do it regularly, which would make them easier to notice if they’re being monitored.”
”So you can leave the ones you want, imprison the ones you don’t, and control the information that reaches outside.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“But this doesn’t seem to be the case here.
You seem to employ people without even checking their backgrounds.”
Her eyes drifted back to him when she remembered his last sentence about her being the reason for this to happen
“Wait…
What?!”
She looked at him in surprise.
‘He’s going to blame me again?’
“Even when I didn’t do anything?
What does provoking them have to do with me calling them out?”
The morning light caught the dust motes drifting through the air.
Eryndor’s jaw worked as he listened to her words—background checks, monitoring, spies—all delivered as casually as if she were discussing something obvious.
His brows knitted slightly and the other council members looked at her like she was a strange
‘Why does She assumes everyone is capable of betrayal?’
His green eyes narrowed slightly.
‘To her, deception seems to be something expected.’
He had never thought of it that way.
Among elves, betrayal was an extreme rarity.
Even when one of them committed a wrong act, they usually did so because they genuinely believed it was the right thing to do—not because they knowingly deceived someone for their own gain.
‘Perhaps that explains her suspicion of everyone.
She even asked me if I kidnapped her the day we met’
He looked at her thoughtfully.
“You speak of betrayal as though it were as common as grains of sand beneath our feet.”
His green eyes remained fixed on her.
“And you didn’t do anything?”
His chest rose with controlled breathing.
“You called out my council members in front of everyone, when I specifically warned you to stay silent.”
‘She provoked them, then acts surprised when I point it out.’
“That’s doing something.”
She looked at him, confused, tilting her head.
” is talking to the people here is bad?”
She looked at the others confused
“I mean I even can talk to you do they think they are in a higher position than the king?”
“Do you truly thinking speaking to them is the problem?” Eryndor’s voice was sharp.
His green eyes fixed on her confused expression, the way her head tilted like you genuinely didn’t understand.
‘does She think council members are servants or something?’
“That is right.
All of you are to treat her as a guest of the Crown.”
The dark-haired council member cleared his throat.
“Your Majesty, the patrol reports—”
Eryndor looked at him to talk now.
She looked at him with proud and pity at the same time wibing an imaginary tear from her eyes
He finally…
Finally can talk …
He is the example that determination will score at the last
The council member who’d been trying to speak—anelf with copper-brown skin and tired eyes—straightened in his chair.
“Your Majesty, the eastern border patrol found tracks.
Multiple groups moving toward the oasis settlements.”
Eryndor’s bored and loose gaze was replaced by concern.
“How many groups?”
“At least three.
Possibly more.”
‘Raiders.
Or worse.’
The morning light shifted through the windows.
Dain remained at attention, his armor no longer clinking.
She just sat silently not speaking and turn deaf ear to the talk when she felt it was something important and not normal to hear about.
not Interested and just tried to fuse with the environment so she wouldn’t be an annoyance until the topic ends.
Eryndor’s jaw tightened as he watched her from the corner of his vision.
The way she folded into herself, becoming smaller, quieter.
“Three groups?” His voice was sharp, redirecting attention back to the copper-skinned council member.
“Moving toward the settlements or already there?”
“Moving, Your Majesty.
They haven’t reached the outer villages yet.”
Darius leaned forward.
“We should send reinforcements—”
“We don’t have reinforcements.” Eryndor’s fingers drummed against the rounded table.
“Half the eastern garrison is still recovering from the last raid.”
The council member with tired eyes shifted in his seat.
“Then we need to pull from the western border—”
“And leave it undefended?”
The chamber fell quiet except for the soft creak of wood as another council member adjusted his position.
The discussion dragged on—border defenses, garrison rotations, supply routes.
Darius’s voice rose slightly.
“We could request aid from the northern territories—”
“They won’t help.” Eryndor’s jaw tightened.
“Not after the trade dispute.”
The copper-skinned council member rubbed his temples.
“Then we’re left with splitting what forces we have.”
“Enough.”
“Council Member Eryx, send scouts to track the groups.
We’ll decide on troop movements after we have better information.”
Eryx—the copper-skinned elf—nodded slowly.
“And the human?”
The question hung in the air.
Other council members turned their attention toward you.
She turned her gaze, looking confused at the one who talked
‘why are you bringing me into the talk?I didn’t do anything’
Eryx’s fingers pressed against the table edge.
His tired eyes remained fixed on her.
“Because you’re sitting in a council meeting.
Without permission.”
Darius leaned forward.
“And you’ve already disrupted proceedings twice.”
‘They want her gone.
Or punished.’
Eryndor’s jaw tightened.
His amber eyes swept across the council members before settling on her.
“She sits where I tell her to sit.”
The morning light shifted through the windows.
Eryx’s hand moved to adjust his robes—another nervous gesture.
“Your Majesty.” Darius’s voice carried carefully controlled frustration.
“We need to discuss what to do with her.
She’s seen too much.”
The other council members nodded slowly.
One cleared his throat.
“She knows about the border situation now.
And the spies.”
‘They’re right.
She’s a security risk.’
Eryndor steaded his gaze on the council members for seconds thinking seriously about his movement.
“Then she stays close to me.”