For a brief moment, no one moved.

Norman waited while everyone around him sported their impressive tableau.

At long last, his assistant spoke for him.

“For the love of the King’s beard! Just tell him! It’s obvious you all are in cahoots to cover something up… wait,” the man rounded on Fin who unconsciously straightened, before forcing his shoulders into a more relaxed position.

“Sire, I believe I can hazard a guess about what could have possibly united all of these people into attempting to deceive you…”

Norman turned and raised a sardonic eyebrow at Mr. Howard who was in the process of studying each of the Ashowan’s present.

“I have kept tabs on you lot through the years. Even while in Rollom, I made sure to receive regular reports from anyone and everyone I could from here in Austice, Viscount. Your propensity for trouble, and driving me to the cups is so well known, that bards have compiled a lifetime of tales about you all.”

Fin rolled his eyes to the ceiling before sharing a knowing look with the King. The monarch momentarily forgot that he was annoyed with the redhead.

Mr. Howard had become more theatrical in his advanced age.

“Now, isn’t it strange that we have three out of the four Ashowans?” The assistant paused for dramatic effect. “My guess… is that Lady Katarina did something that everyone in this room is covering for. Because the Ashowan’s reduce even the most disciplined of people to actions just as chaotic as their own,” the assistant shot a brief glance at the Princess, then the Troivackian King who was about to take moderate offense to the inference, but had to admonish there was some level of truth to the sentiment…

“So, what did Lady Katarina Ashowan do, hm? What is it you all are trying to protect her from?” Mr. Howard finished folding his arms across his chest and seeking out each member of the Viscount’s family to gauge their reactions.

Norman’s skeptical expression mellowed when no one spoke.

“Father," Alina’s quiet voice broke the silence. “I… I would like to speak with you privately please.”

“Princess, would you mind if I joined your meeting?” Annika Ashowan interjected while suddenly stepping forward, her face as serene as ever.

Brendan Devark narrowed his eyes at the woman. He didn’t like being shut out of a meeting with the spy…

Glancing between the Viscountess and his daughter, Norman pondered the request for a moment, then gave a slow nod.

“Everyone please leave us.”

One by one, the remaining audience filed out without a word of complaint.

Brendan was the last to leave, but before he followed his assistant, he and Alina shared a silent moment of eye contact where he tilted his head in a silent question.

She gave a nervous half smile followed by a slower nod.

Satisfied, Brendan turned and left.

Annika watched the exchange pensively, but when the door finally latched shut, she turned her full attention to the King.

Norman, however, was fixing his daughter with his displeased stare, completely ignoring Annika. Less out of disrespect and more out of habit. He was used to pretending she wasn’t there.

“Is Mr. Howard’s theory at all correct?”

Alina let out a small tentative breath. “Yes. Though Kat didn’t mean any harm! All that happened was she saw that I was upset after our talk the other day, and we ended up going camping.”

Norman’s jaw clenched briefly and his eyes flashed. “She took you camping, without any guards or a physician?”

“Yes, but we were an hour from your camp,and nothing happened. Then the Troivackian King came and said he was going to take us to you, but I insisted we stay where we were as it was the middle of the night. Then-”

Norman had dropped his face to his hand and was pinching the bridge of his nose. “Let me guess. Lord Ashowan and Lord Harris found the three of you on their way to notify me that you were missing?”

“T-That would be correct.”

Norman raised his gaze to Alina, his disappointment written over every line of his face before he turned to Annika.

“Viscountess, I think we need to have a chat with your husband present regarding your daughter.”

“No, father!” Alina burst out vehemently. “If you agree to our story, then no one has to know! Please don’t send Kat away! I wanted to get away from the castle, and you need to let me make some decisions that-”

“Trust you to make decisions?! Alina, you just coerced some of the most powerful people in two kingdoms to go along with your lie to me!”

“Because they all knew you wouldn’t be reasonable!”

Norman’s angered expression grew more severe. “You think it unreasonable?! How easy would it have been for the King of Troivack to take advantage of you when he found you two!”

“Given that Kat almost shot him, not all that easy,” Annika interjected casually.

Norman rounded on the woman, his ire over her interruption clear.

“Your Majesty, before this discussion goes further, I need to remind you of a very specific promise your wife, Her Majesty the Queen, made you swear with me on her deathbed.”

The King’s face grew pale, before he managed to find his words. “You dare to call upon that promise when you have been completely absent from my daughter’s life until now?! No, what motherly advice could you possibly offer?!” His voice was too hoarse to shout, but his fury was enough to make his daughter’s tears fall; she was so shocked at his reaction.

Alina had no idea what promise the Viscountess was even talking about…

“Your Majesty, you promised her. You will hear my input on Ainsley’s behalf whether you like it or not.”

“Not when the matter pertains to your own daughter, Viscountess. You are using that promise to save your own child, this has nothing to do-” Norman snapped before being promptly cut off.

“Exile Kat if that’s what you feel is the fairest decision. I won’t fight you on that. She does need to learn consequences. As much as I love her, my daughter is growing too bold. No, what I have to say is something that has needed to be said for a long time, but without Ainsley, no one can breathe a word of it to you.”

Alina was trembling over her father’s anger. She had no idea how the Viscountess was staying calm! How was she so… strong?

“Well, then? What?” Norman demanded, his eyes glinting dangerously.

“You need to let your daughter make her own decisions. You don’t have any faith in her. Even before today, which is why she hides things from you. You don’t trust her to know what she wants, or needs, and you continuously rob her independence because you are terrified of losing her.”

Norman scoffed, but still, the Lady Ashowan continued explaining steadily.

“She’s getting married, Norman. Bad things might happen. There is nothing you can do to change that, and you shouldn’t torture her, or yourself because you fear it.”

Norman faltered back a step.

“Do you think Alina is a good person?” Annika asked, moving forward to remain close, her dark eyes never leaving the King's, as though hypnotizing him.

“Of course I do! She just-” Norman took another step back.

“Would she ever try to hurt someone?” Annika continued stepping after him.

“No! You aren’t seeing what-”

“Is she smart?”

Finally, the King stopped his backwards retreat of the Viscountess. “Of course she is. She’s Ainsley’s girl.”

Alina felt her tears begin to flow like rivers down her cheeks as her mother’s kind smiling face, and mischievous eyes looking at her father flashed into her memory.

“Then you need to give her more say and freedom in her decisions. There is a reason she hides things from you and is making these reckless decisions. It’s because you lose your mind whenever she does things outside of your control.”

Norman steadied slightly under that accusation. “You’re telling me going camping with just your daughter without anyone’s knowledge was a great idea?”

“Not at all. I’m furious with my own daughter for that. However, the Princess made that decision after feeling stifled and as though she couldn’t get a moment to herself. Also… Norman… let’s be honest. Of the absurd acts of rebellion our girls could make, is camping really what we need to respond so drastically to? Camping?”

Norman's shoulders sagged forward at Annika's call to common sense. “With her breathing issues it could have been serious!”

“If Alina felt endangered she would have said something,” Annika reminded. “Furthermore… I’d like to give credit to the Troivackian King. Despite his traditional upbringing, he has been giving your daughter a world of freedom and respect.”

For several moments, the Viscountess and King stared at each other. Eventually, Norman's breath returned to its normal rhythm, and his frown eased from his face.

“I need some time to think. Alina, Lady Ashowan, you are excused.” Norman waved his hand as he slowly turned from the women and stared at a particular bookcase already lost in thought.

The women left silently, with Annika offering a supportive hand to Alina whose one arm was wrapped protectively around her middle and the other silencing the small gasps that came with her cries.

Norman needed to be alone without his daughter's pain present... He couldn't think straight otherwise...

However the day was not yet through with the Daxarian King yet. Not an hour had passed, before there was yet another knock on the door.

“Alina, I’m not ready to see you,” Norman called out, his head still lost to the memory of the first night he’d even met Ainsley in the library stealing books… because her father wouldn’t allow her to read…

“Your Majesty, it is the King of Troivack.”

It was unmistakably Brendan Devark’s voice, and Norman found himself already dreading whatever stress the foreign King was about to pile on him.

“Enter.”

The younger man looked around the room cautiously as though to make sure no one was hiding in wait for him, then closed the door behind himself.

“I understand intruding on your time is not ideal. However, I wanted to speak with you before you settled on a punishment for Lady Katarina.”

Norman turned to face the foreign ruler listlessly. He didn’t even bother asking the man to speak, knowing that everyone seemed rather happy to say their piece regardless of his own thoughts on recent events.

“Your Majesty, were you aware that Katarina Ashowan can see in the dark?”

Whatever Norman had been expecting, it wasn’t that.

“I beg your pardon?”

“She doesn’t get cold, or sleep much I'm given to understand. Rain doesn’t even bother her-- it steams off of her,” Brendan prattled on, his dark eyes intense. “She can eat more than three men combined and not bat an eye.”

“I did not know this, but what is it you are getting at?” Norman turned, his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded the Troivackian with caution.

“She has… unbelievable potential if trained properly. She could be an incredible scout, or even a Knight with her abilities. She would be an asset to your military, only-”

“She is a Lady with parents who do not wish her to be involved in dangerous activities,” the Daxarian King’s imperial tone grew sharp.

Brendan took a steadying breath. “I was going to say, only she needs discipline. I think she should come with the Princess to Troivack after we marry for a year… maybe more… as her handmaiden. We could train her. If it’s to be with your daughter, the Ashowan’s would agree in a heartbeat.”

Norman’s smile didn’t meet his eyes. “You want me to lie to the Ashowans in order for you to train her.”

“Weren’t they lying to you not even an hour ago?”

“More for my own daughter’s sake than their own.”

Brendan frowned, he didn’t understand…

“I am happy to sign off on that punishment for Lady Katarina, but only if she and her parents agree. The Gods know I would prefer her to have some kind of power behind Alina when she leaves. However, you will not lie to the Ashowan’s when you make this suggestion to them.”

“Pardon me… did you just say that I’d be making the suggestion?” the Troivackian’s eyes widened fractionally.

“Well, why not? You are going to be in charge of watching out for their daughter with this idea. Not to mention you are making the decision with your future wife in mind, right?” Norman’s hazel eyes flashed.

Brendan felt his gut harden. “I cannot command your citizens.”

“No, but you can ask Alina if this is an idea she is comfortable with. She would have the authority to ask.”

“You mean…” the Troivackian King felt the situation sliding further and further outside of his control.

“Yes. I mean you will have to tell Alina exactly what you told me, and then she will have to speak with the Ashowan’s. A good test as a couple, wouldn’t you agree? Unless of course you would like me to decide for myself what should happen to the Viscount’s daughter.”

Brendan felt his black brows furrow. “What punishment would you decide?”

“Exile for three to five years. Or perhaps she will be sent to the Isle of Wittica to study and work for the kingdom for that time. A more dignified absence without a doubt… perhaps there she could learn the ‘discipline’, you say she is so desperate for.”

Brendan growled. “You’re gambling with Alina’s happiness over losing someone she considers a friend when you’ve already lost your son?”

Norman felt all color drain from his face, then he opened his mouth and… he wasn’t exactly certain what came out, or what happened after, because his mind went rather black in that moment after being pushed too far for one day. All he knew was that his anger, grief, and pain brewed itself into a formless force that sought destruction, and the Gods themselves should they appear wouldn't be entirely safe from it.