Chapter 920 The Council

Trafalgar had already expected the person outside the door to be Caelum. Sooner or later, the two of them were going to have to sit down properly, because too much had happened while Trafalgar was away in Myrrhvale and several loose ends had been left in Caelum's hands.

He wanted to know whether Darian had sent anything new, whether Maeron had finally revealed more than vague intentions through his secret approach to House Thal'zar, and what Caelum had noticed inside House Morgain during his absence. There was also Myrrhvale itself, which had almost certainly created problems beyond the ones Trafalgar had seen firsthand.

"Wait for me outside, Caelum. Give me a second and I'll come out."

"Understood, Young Master. I'll wait here."

Trafalgar turned back toward Mayla. She was still seated with Aaron in her arms, the baby relaxed as he ate, one tiny hand resting against her. He walked over and pressed a soft kiss against Mayla's forehead.

"I'll leave you two alone for a while. You deserve some peace after tonight. I'll come back later."

Mayla looked up at him, tired but calm again. Her arms shifted slightly around Aaron as she made him more comfortable.

"Tell me what happened afterward. And don't spend the whole day shut away with Caelum. You still have to come down for dinner."

"I'll make sure we don't disappear into an office until tomorrow. Don't worry."

Mayla gave him a nod. Trafalgar watched them for another moment before leaving, the sight of his son safe and comfortable easing the last remnants of the nightmare.

Caelum was waiting in the corridor exactly where he had said he would be. His dark hair was slicked back, his clothes immaculate, and his golden eyes settled on Trafalgar at once.

Trafalgar had spent long enough around Caelum and his clones to notice the difference in presence. This time, he was almost certain the man before him was the main body rather than a clone.

"How have you been, Caelum?"

"Quite well, Young Master." Caelum inclined his head with his usual measured respect. "Busy, admittedly. A great deal has happened while you were in Myrrhvale, and there are several matters we should discuss."

"I assumed as much."

"There is news from Lord Darian as well," Caelum continued. "And several matters concerning your own family that I believe you should hear directly from me."

Trafalgar nodded once. Caelum coming in person already told him this was not something meant to be handled through a short Shadowlink message.

"Then let's use my office. We're going to be talking for a while."

They started through the mansion together, with the household already fully awake around them. Servants moved through the corridors with breakfast trays, documents and messages from the city, and one of the maids approached before they reached the stairs.

"My lord, the steward wanted to know whether you still intend to receive the representatives from the western market district this afternoon."

"Move it to tomorrow morning. Tell him I have private business today and I don't want them waiting for me."

"Yes, my lord."

The maid bowed and moved away. A second servant stopped him near the next corridor, this time with a message from the city administration about the revised winter supply figures.

"Is anything marked urgent?"

"No, my lord."

"Then leave them in my office. I'll review them later today."

"Of course."

The servant hurried away, and Trafalgar continued beside Caelum. Even crossing his own mansion now came with decisions attached to it, something that had slowly become normal as Euclid grew around him.

They finally reached his office, a warm room overlooking the snow-covered grounds. Trafalgar closed the door behind them and moved around the broad desk while Caelum remained near the chairs opposite him.

"Sit."

Caelum glanced at the chair. Normally he would have remained standing no matter how long the conversation lasted, but after a short pause, he accepted the invitation and sat. Trafalgar settled into his own chair.

"All right. Where do we start?"

Caelum answered without hesitation. Trafalgar's attention sharpened as soon as he heard the subject.

"The Council is the most important matter to discuss first, in my opinion, Young Master."

"The Council?"

"Yes." Caelum folded his hands in front of him. "House Myrrhvale now has an officially recognized head. Nerith di Myrrhvale has been accepted, and with their seat no longer vacant, the obstacle preventing a full gathering of the Eight Great Families is gone."

Trafalgar leaned back slightly. He already knew how the succession had ended, having watched candidate after candidate fall away until Nerith remained, but formal recognition changed the situation beyond Myrrhvale.

"So someone finally requested a Council."

"They did. The Council of Sages has already begun organizing the event, and the formal gathering will take place in two weeks."

"Two weeks."

"Correct. All Eight Great Families are expected to attend, along with their delegations and the usual invited parties. Given how long a full Council has been impossible, I expect this one to draw considerably more attention than usual."

Trafalgar's fingers tapped once against the arm of his chair before going still. Two weeks was enough for every Great Family to gather its people and prepare whatever it intended to bring before the others.

'That is sooner than I expected.'

"And Valttair?"

"He already knows." Caelum's golden eyes remained fixed on him. "In fact, Lord Valttair wants to see you before the Council. Privately."

Trafalgar studied him for a moment, but Caelum's expression gave nothing away. The lack of explanation was typical of Valttair.

"When?"

"He did not give me a precise day. Only that he intends to speak with you personally before House Morgain leaves for the gathering."

"And he didn't tell you what about?"

"No, Young Master. I can guess at some of it, but I would rather not present guesses as fact."

Trafalgar nodded slowly. Myrrhvale alone gave Valttair enough reason to summon him, considering Trafalgar had just spent days inside one of the most politically sensitive successions among the Eight. Valttair would want the truth from someone who had actually been there rather than a polished report passed through several hands.

'Knowing him, Myrrhvale probably won't even be the only thing he wants to discuss.'

Trafalgar shifted slightly in his chair and looked back at Caelum. The other matters were still waiting between them, and judging by what Caelum had said outside, this conversation had barely started.

"All right. Start from the beginning, then. Tell me what I need to know about the Council first."

Caelum inclined his head, clearly ready to continue.

"Of course, Young Master."