Chapter 151 - Gathering Of Crowns

Chapter 151: 151 - Gathering Of Crowns

Laurent kept the folder open between them, one hand on the first page while Adrien waited for him to continue.

"The meeting is called the Conclave of Crowns."

The name told Adrien nothing, though the weight Laurent gave it implied that it should have, and he chose his next question with care.

"Is that a formal summit, Your Majesty?"

"It is. The name is older than several of the kingdoms that still attend it. Not everyone who sits at that table is human or an elf, and not every sovereign wears a crown. Tradition rarely cares about precision."

Adrien nodded once. "How often is it held?"

"Rarely. The last one was twelve years ago."

That lent the name more gravity than any title. Twelve years was long enough for rulers to die, borders to shift and entire generations of officials to build careers without ever seeing one.

Laurent drew the folder toward himself.

"The Conclave is not scheduled. There is no date set every decade, no ceremonial obligation to gather. It is called when enough problems stop concerning individual kingdoms and begin affecting the continent as a whole."

Maeriel stayed silent beside him, though the documents near her elbow told Adrien she knew the subject thoroughly. Laurent continued before he could ask anything else.

"Relations between several states have worsened over the last few years. Some disputes are old. Others are new. Trade routes that have remained stable for decades are becoming unreliable, and we have had more border incidents reported this year than in the previous three combined."

Adrien listened without interrupting. None of it sounded impossible alone, since kingdoms argued, merchants changed routes and soldiers crossed lines they should not. The trouble was how many of those things Laurent was placing side by side.

"There are also reports of unusual beast movements," Laurent said. "Not one region. Several. Packs abandoning territory they have held for generations. Creatures appearing where they should not be. Mana concentrations changing without any obvious cause."

That seized Adrien’s attention more firmly than the politics had, and he caught himself before leaning forward.

"Changing how, Your Majesty?"

"Inconsistently. Some regions report sudden increases. Others report areas becoming unusually thin. A few accounts are probably exaggerated, but there are enough reliable ones that they can no longer be dismissed."

Adrien thought at once of Thornwood, then checked himself before drawing a line between them. He had witnessed enough since awakening to know that strange did not automatically mean connected.

Laurent went on.

"What happened between Valleroy and Sylvamir added another reason. A criminal network nearly created a war between two neighboring kingdoms while operating through noble families on both sides of the border. That is not something other rulers ignore simply because the immediate crisis has passed."

"And Valleroy’s internal situation is part of it as well I’m guessing"

"It is. A kingdom as large as yours becoming politically unstable affects everyone around it. Trade, borders, military agreements and diplomatic guarantees. None of those things exist in isolation."

Adrien glanced again at the map behind Laurent. Until recently his attention had stopped at Greymoor’s borders, then widened to Arquenay, Valebrand and eventually Sylvamir. Now a king was discussing troubles spread across a continent as though they were entries in one report.

"Has the Conclave already been confirmed?"

"Not formally." Laurent closed the folder halfway. "But enough rulers have agreed that the question is no longer whether one will happen. The remaining questions are where, when, and under what conditions."

"How long would that take?"

"Months, most likely. Arranging security alone takes time. Every ruler attending brings guards, advisers and demands. The location has to be acceptable to everyone, and no one wants to appear dependent on another kingdom for protection."

Adrien grasped that much immediately. Gathering several strained rulers into one place would breed as many problems as it resolved.

"And Valleroy will attend?"

Laurent regarded him a moment.

"It will. The interesting question isn’t whether Valleroy attends. It’s who will be wearing the crown when it does."

The room went still while Adrien turned the answer over. He had heard Aurelian state his intentions plainly, had watched the prince build influence, move against Great Houses and place loyal men wherever decisions were made. Even so, hearing it from a foreign throne brought the prospect nearer. If the Conclave stood months away, another king was already weighing the chance that Osric would be gone before it opened.

Adrien kept his voice measured.

"Would a change in Valleroy delay the meeting?"

"Not unless the transition became violent." Laurent rested both forearms on the desk. "A new ruler would complicate the arrangements, but rulers change. The Conclave exists because the problems remain when they do."

Maeriel finally spoke.

"And if Aurelian does take the throne before then, every kingdom attending will want to know what kind of king he intends to be."

Adrien gave a small nod. "I imagine he would expect that."

Laurent’s gaze stayed on him, unhurried and direct.

"Which brings us back to you."

Adrien straightened a fraction, though his posture had never truly loosened.

"Me, Your Majesty?"

"House Clairmont is in an unusual position. You are not part of the royal family, and you have no formal authority over Valleroy’s foreign policy. But your house is now involved in an active agreement between Valleroy, Sylvamir and Edevane. You were directly involved in the incident that nearly brought our kingdoms to war, and you have already dealt personally with both me and Aurelian."

Adrien understood where the conversation was heading before Laurent finished.

"That does not mean you will attend the Conclave," Laurent said. "But I would not assume you will remain completely outside it either."

Adrien absorbed that without moving. A few months ago nobody beyond Valleroy would have cared whether he lived or died, and now a foreign king was telling him a gathering of the continent’s rulers might eventually reach his house directly.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

Laurent studied him briefly, then closed the folder.

"You do not need to concern yourself with it yet. There is still time before any invitations are sent, and a great deal can change before then."

Adrien suspected that was precisely the trouble, and kept it to himself while Laurent moved the folder aside and reached for another document.

"For now, there is something considerably simpler to deal with."

Adrien waited, hands still on his knees.

"Tomorrow, I intend to keep the promise I made you in Valleroy."

That needed no explanation. Adrien had almost managed to forget about the royal treasury during the last half hour.