Atheline softly smiled and slowly lowered his bow.

"On whether it really matters," he said, his gaze shifted to the roof," you really can’t expect everything to go to the soldiers... general, that’s quite greedy of you, don’t you think?"

The general didn’t respond, not even after Atheline gave him a chance. He continued after a small pause.

"Her majesty knows about everything in the kingdom," he quietly said," just because she hasn’t given you her attention, doesn’t mean she doesn’t know."

Heavy silence hung in the air between them, because that was the truth the council wanted to avoid. It was better to suggest that she might have missed something, rather than the fact that they weren’t a priority in her mind.

It was simply in front of them but they had closed their eyes to it. The fate of the moon crystals, the defenses, and the kingdom itself didn’t rest on strategy or council votes but on the whim of a woman who could decide at any moment that none of that mattered.

It clearly scared them all.

The fact that Atheline a high elf had wiggled his way in and might just hold power in their kingdom didn’t make matters better.

He slowly reached for another arrow.

"You’re confident," Atheline said.

"I don’t have the luxury not to be," Thulem quietly replied without any hesitation.

Atheline respected his straightforwardness. He met the general’s gaze, his lips curving into a small smile.

"I’ll speak to her," he said, not a promise but a small reassurance.

The words came easier than they should have.

The general inclined his head slightly.

"Then I’ll wait."

He didn’t linger after getting his reassurance. A final respectful nod and he turned, heavy footsteps fading down the hallway until only the hurried steps of servants remained.

Atheline lowered his bow, rolling the tension out of his fingers.

"You handled that well your highness... Actually, better than most would have when facing the general."

His previously quiet tutor’s voice came from behind him, quieter now that the general had gone.

He didn’t turn immediately, his gaze stayed on the target. The broken wood planks and the previous arrow that had split the other clean through.

"Did I?"

"You didn’t agree directly, " the tutor said," but you also didn’t refuse."

He huffed silently.

"Is that what it looks like?"

"It is what it was," he responded straightforwardly.

As expected.

Atheline finally stores his precious bow rolling his shoulder to get rid of the tension.

The man had spent his time in the courtroom and he had a clear view of the interactions of the council over the years. Atheline wouldn’t mind getting different perspectives from different people.

"What do you think?" He asked.

His tutor didn’t answer right away; instead, he stepped forward observing the wall Athelines’ arrow had stuck in carefully as though it held something worth studying.

"The general isn’t wrong, your highness, " he eventually said," but men like him rarely are, I’ve trained under him, that fact makes him a dangerous man."

’Oh, the general has the on-point mindset. Say the truth until action is forcefully taken’

"And the rest of the council?"

"Unlike the straightforward general, they are on the milder side. Most of them have the nobility mindset which means they will definitely stall," the tutor said," ...until stalling benefits someone more than acting on it themselves."

Of course they would, he already knew that. That had been why rumours were spreading much faster and none of them had even approached him in this regard yet.

’It’s still early, they’ll probably come after noticing that the general approached me’

The thought settled heavily, but he didn’t dwell on it. It wasn’t time yet.

"I’ll be in the library, " he said, already turning away," there are records on the previous allocations I wanted to see first then..."

"Your highness," a smooth voice interrupted him.

He slowly turned towards the voice. A young man stood just outside the training courtyard entrance, half hidden behind a pillar.

He was impeccably dressed despite the early hours. There wasn’t even a strand of hair out of place but Atheline recognised him immediately.

Simion Vilkorian, the noble elder youngest son. A genius among the rising peers. Ten years his elder.

He had that curated smile he had seen on the image that gave Athelines the creeps.

"I hope I’m not interrupting," he said, stepping forward with easy grace.

His tutor went still behind him.

Atheline noted his reaction.

"The training grounds are open," he replied quietly, " you’re not interrupting anything."

"Good," he replied, "I would hate to impose."

’Liar’

There was no way he had accidentally found himself in his designated training court. His gaze subtly flickered slightly down the hallway, towards the direction the general had left from then back to his new visitor.

’This is faster than I had thought’

"I didn’t expect to see you here," Simion continued," though I shouldn’t be surprised, discipline suits you."

’Flattery now’

"Does it?"

"I think so," he replied, smile never wavering," it gives people something reassuring to hold on to.’

’Interesting’

That wasn’t about him, it was about perception. He was the unnamed future king after all.

Simion stepped closer just enough to close the conversational distance but far enough not to seem too intrusive.

"I passed the general on my way in," he added casually, " he seemed... lost in thoughts."

Atheline didn’t respond immediately to his probing but let him sit on it so that he could decide whether to push further or not.

As expected of him, he didn’t. Patience was something to be expected from an upper noble of his calibre.

"That’s not unusual for him," Atheline said after a beat.

"No," he agreed," but the timing is."

The words hung silently in the air, then as if to shift the subject he spoke again.

"The Court has been rather lively lately, hasn’t it?" He smoothly managed to steer the subject.

’The council huh, the noble elder must have already informed him’

Atheline’s expression remained just as blank. It was clear between them that he couldn’t care less about what was happening inside the mountains but was probing about the crystals, whether he knew anything that could turn the tide to his favor.

Atheline let a faint smile touch his lips.

"Lively is one way to describe it," his gaze shifted to the large opening that let the light in," I can hear the noises from the palace. "

"I can imagine it must be tiring, " he said.

Atheline tilted his head slightly.

"It sounds like you’ve also been suffering through the same thing as me."

Simion awkwardly chuckled.

"I try to stay informed."

Of course he does, or he wouldn’t be there. He was probably the next contender for the position of the noble elder. And was clearly positioning himself, thought subley in this mess.

Another piece on the board had been added.

"And what have you learned?" He asked.

Simion’s smile sharpened.

"Only that everyone wants the same thing," he said.

"Which is?"

"Security," he smoothly replied," stability. The good of the kingdom."

It was a lie wrapped in truth or the other way around.

"And yet, " he added lightly, " everyone seemed to disagree on how to achieve it."

He almost laughed. A noble, especially him, complaining about this was just funny to him. His father was better at that than most.

His gaze shifted to Simion’s relaxed hands beside him.

"You didn’t come here to discuss the council right?" He said his smile not flattering.

Simion remained expressionless.

"Didn’t I?"

"No."

Silence settled between them for a moment then a small breath left him.

"I was curious," he admitted.

’It wasn’t that hard was it’

"About?"

"The generals visit," he casually said as if it was nothing more than passing interest," it’s not often that he seeks private conversations outside formal settings."

’This is why politics irritates and fascinates me’

Despite being given the okay to confess. Simion had still left a way out for himself by not admitting it directly, giving himself room to deflect.

’So you want to gauge my reactions, huh’

Atheline considered it for a moment then gave him exactly what he deserved.

Very little.

"He came to speak, " he said.

"Of course. "

"And he left."

Simion’s searching gaze held his for a moment longer than necessary, trying to decide whether there was anything more hidden beneath that.

Atheline maintained a polite smile.