Grandpa Corven looked at Elias and Sienna. Slowly, but with grit in his voice, he said, "Matters related to Paris and the falcons, are your business. The level of my mental strength on the other hand: my business. It won’t cause you any problems, much less put you in danger. On the contrary, it is a secret that can protect my family in case of danger." He paused, eyes digging into Elias. "I trust that your people will not reveal what has happened today."

Elias sneered. "I think everyone knows better than to cross an SSS mental strength beast man. We are known for killing without thought."

The old man shook his head. "That was in the past. The former king changed the laws and we have all been living in peace. Killing without thought is now a crime unless it is an act of self defense."

"That doesn’t take away the fear many have towards us and in the last year alone, there have been at least ninety seven killing without thought incidents." Elias reminded him. "I still insist on knowing why you are hiding your mental strength. But, I know I can’t force you to talk, so I won’t. This is simply out of respect for my wife. If you were any other person, we would be battling it out already."

Sienna blinked. She hissed stealthily at her husband. What did he mean by that? They had to force the old man to talk! Who needed respect when they needed answers? She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a story there. Maybe something from the old man’s past or his childhood.

But just like her husband, she knew they could not pry the old man’s mouth open using forceful means. In that case, she would start with grandma Byra and see what the old woman knew.

Elias moved his body slightly forward, eyes focused on the old man. "How many connections do you have within the falcon council? We need to have eyes and ears on the inside. We both know someone with your level of mental strength and secrecy is always watching or listening in order to protect themselves."

Grandpa Corven smiled. "As expected of a fox, you analyze situations quickly. Elder Thad is my....good friend. I have other friends in the falcon council. Some friends even work for the families of the elders on that council. I have not reached out to them since our expulsion because I don’t know who is watching."

Elias leaned back. "It is time to reach out. Connect them to me, and I will take things from there."

The old man nodded. "Indeed, it is better for you to handle it than me. I have a feeling that Edris might have given us up in order to force a bond with the royals. To sell himself off as a loyalist. It can’t be a coincidence that the king and queen turned up here at almost the same time and day we did."

Sienna recalled that incident. The royals had showed up to see the queen bee. In the end, they didn’t take a ride on the bee or spend more than ten minutes touring the hives.

She gasped. "It..could it be?"

Elias nodded slowly, his crimson eyes filled with deep thoughts. "The royals never give away what is on their minds or what they are after. The king uses the goofy image of loving gossip to pry into the lives of the lords and spy on their affairs.

The queen regularly invites the wives of the lords to tea and asks deeply personal questions. Naturally, most of the ladies choose to discuss other things in order to avoid the subject.

In the end, the royals use these games to widen their control. I am not saying its a bad thing. They are the leaders of our race, and they must do what they can to protect their positions and the people they rule. But, I don’t approve of some of their methods."

Sienna looked around, eyes wide, paranoia leaking. "Shhh!! I am the daughter of a rebel, you can’t be saying such things around me."

The two men laughed.

She rolled her eyes. "It’s not funny. After grandpa mentioned the timing coincidence of that sudden royal visit I have been thinking back on what happened. The king did seem an awful lot interested in the arrival of the falcon relatives. He asked many questions about them."

Sienna and Elias recalled how the king had watched the group eating, laughing loudly because they devoured their food quickly. At the time, she had found it rude, but now....everything was suddenly a piece of a puzzle tied to a giant conspiracy.

Elias muttered a curse. Like his wife, he had not thought much of it. He had assumed the king was simply looking for dirt to humiliate him with in private. And the man had been making fun of him for living with falcon refugees for a while. And he did ask questions about them often.

"I should have known," he said, laughing softly under his breath. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"So much for friendship," Sienna said derisively. "Serenya has been using me right from the beginning."

Grandpa Corven snorted. "You are both taking this too deeply. The simple reality is that even if the king and queen are your friends, they remain royalty. You are not at the same level as they are. You could share your deepest secrets with them and when your family falls, they will order for you to be imprisoned in order to appear fair and just in the eyes of the public.

Like you Elias, I like our current monarchy. They have done more for the development of beast men than any other rulers we had before. But they have an image to sell. One of friendliness, being relatable, kind...and all the other good things. It is why they interact with the beast lords and public the way they do. It is why they are deeply loved.

It is also why you should always be on guard around them, because they have a way of pulling you in. Why do you think I made sure Linera was always around when you were spending time with the queen, Sienna? I knew right from the beginning that they wanted something. Maybe it was to plot against the eagles, or maybe it is something else.

I am afraid it might be related to Paris. I just don’t know what it is. The best way to protect yourselves is to use royalty the same way it is using you."