"There you are, Grace." Steren made her way from a row of tents to my right. I gave a small wave. Some of my anxiety from being lost was gone, but the feeling that I was in trouble replaced it.

"You just eat?" she asked. I nodded. "Good, Belenus is looking for you." Before I could answer, Steren ushered me into the rows of tents.

"Am I in trouble for wandering off, because Belenus left-" I was cut off by Steren's chuckle.

"Trouble? No way," she said, and I tried hard to keep up with her quick stride. "My wife went to check on you and discovered you wandered out. Belenus just wants to make sure you're safe." There was some relief at not being in trouble, but not much.

"You're married?" I asked, eager to grasp onto something normal.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but yes," she said as she guided me along with her hand on my lower back. "Her name is Cherish. She's the healer who's been tending to you. You've been unconscious, so you may not remember-"

"She kept snapping at Faolán and Belenus," I interjected. "I remember that. It's just between falling out of the chair until now…" I let my voice trail off.

"You've been out for the better part of four days," Steren said. "It's mostly Faolán's fault for thralling you," Steren said, and she sounded equally amused and irritated by the knowledge. I did my best to try to memorize our route, but everything was too similar. "Then again, he's never been around your kind."

"I'm not upset. He was trying to help," I said. I was pretty sure she meant "pure human," but I didn't ask. "I hope I didn't cause too much of an issue," I said, unsure of her opinion of me.

"It wasn't; Cherish was excited to treat a human," she said as she came to a stop beside a tent that looked as unremarkable as the others.

"Here we are," Steren said and pushed open a tent flap. I stumbled to a stop and stared at the large, but otherwise nondescript, tent. "Don't be nervous. It’s just the advisory council." She smiled and half pushed me into the waiting shadows.

The inside of the tent was illuminated with soft and welcoming yellow light. I resisted the urge to step back behind Steren when multiple gazes zeroed in on me from around a table. The discomfort of the theoretical spotlight boiled my stomach and burned up to my ears, yet I forced my politest grin into place.

The man at the head of the table stood, and the rest of the group followed suit. It took me a moment to realize it was Belenus, and he came around to place himself directly between the table and me. 

"Grace, I'm happy to see you up," Belenus said. Excitement filled his voice as he rested his hands on my arms. His smile was brighter than I expected it to be, like he was greeting a good friend and not a stranger. "I thought you might be up today, but this meeting was important. According to Cherish, Realm Shock takes about three days to wear off, but Faolán's thrall and a mild infection in your lungs needed additional treatment." 

"I didn't mean to be an inconvenience," I said and looked from his bright eyes to the brooch that held his cape closed. It was identical to mine, and it provided a much-needed reprieve from his need from his intense gaze.

"You were so far from an inconvenience," he said with a soft laugh and dropped his hands. "I took a lot more of Cherish's magic than you did. You mostly needed sleep." Belenus' tone softened as he continued. "Do you mind if I introduce you to the council?"

"Do I mind?" I asked,momentarily confused by the question, given that the entire group of people behind him.. I hadn't anticipated being given a choice. "Um, sure.” My heart raced. Belenus turned and rested his hand lightly against the middle of my back. For the first time since I woke up, I wanted to run in the completely opposite direction of him.

My mind immediately formulated a myriad of personalities for the individuals watching on in rapt interest. So many advisory councils in stories tended to be uptight, judgemental, and harsh, or they would be conniving, power-hungry, and two-faced.

"This is my aunt, Caoimhe Silverbough," Belenus said. "She is acting lead advisor." A dark-haired elvish woman stepped forward, her green eyes earnest and full of gratitude before she lowered her head in a soft bow. 

"Lady Grace, I can't begin to explain how thankful I am that you saved my nephew's life," she said. I did my best to return the bow without looking like an absolute moron. The woman's gaze flicked briefly to Faolán, who was standing at the other end of the table. She smiled at him before focusing on me. 

Figures his wife would look like a goddess among elves. My mind snorted at me. It made me acutely aware of my chubby body compared to her lean and powerful form.

 "My brother and I are as much in debt to you as Belenus is," she said and gestured to Faolán. 

Brother? Still, you're a potato compared to her. 

"I just did what anyone else would do in my position, honestly.” It took all of my self-control not to fidget under her appreciative glance. Compliments were hard enough, but a literal elf was declaring her gratitude for me in front of a bunch of important people.

Just wait. You'll eventually do or say something to offend her, and she'll take it all back, my inner voice snorted. I wanted to challenge it, but experience told me she was right. 

"This is Elowen Lightbridge," Belenus said and gestured to a woman with chin-length red hair and golden-brown eyes. "She is the lead ambassador from Aranthem to the other realms." The woman, by appearance, didn't seem to be elvish.

"My Lady, I would very much like to get to know more about you and the modern human world," she gave a curtsy, and as she came back up, she held out her right hand. "If my studies are correct, this was an offering of peace before the realm was sealed." A single branch appeared in her fingers. "Is it still?"

"An olive branch?" I asked. I took it, and my smile grew wide when I understood what she was doing. I definitely had no authority to represent humanity, but I wasn't going to start things off on a bad foot. "Yes, but more as a figure of speech. Still, I gladly accept," I said. Elowen backed around the table to her chair.

"This is General Eoghan Sayer," Belenus said and gestured to a man that came forward from beside Faolán. "He's the head of our military council." 

I expected to be intimidated by the General, however, his grip was gentle when he took my hand in his and bowed to kiss my knuckles. It took me a moment to register that he was shorter than Belenus and Faolán, probably around five-nine or -ten. He was human in appearance as well, and he looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. His hazel eyes were bright with curiosity, but there was no malice or suspicion in them. His dark braids and beard were highlighted silver, and he had a thin scar across his throat as if someone had tried to slit it.

"You proved yourself against two shadewolves, my Lady. I am honored to make your acquaintance." His voice was deep, with a slight grating to it as if his throat was almost dry. 

"I really didn't do much," I insisted, but nobody seemed to want to accept that I had done very little work. The bullets had taken care of the danger. "Honestly, it wasn't… I don't." I didn't know what else to say because Belenus was beaming at me while General Sayer tried to escort me to a chair. 

"I think Grace is feeling out of her depth and overwhelmed," Faolán said, rescuing my hand from Eoghan and preventing me from being placed between the General and the Ambassador. "You don't have to stay for the meeting if you don't want to, Grace." I looked away from the eager eyes around me to gaze up at the smiling elf.  There was something in his expression that was familiar but strange. I couldn't understand what it was until I realized that while he had been seated with the Council, Faolán's chair hadn't been at the table. It was slightly off to Belenus' right.

"I'll stay," I said and looked around to locate a corner to plant myself in. They were all too far from the table to really observe the goings-on. My stomach burned like dry ice as I tried to figure out which decision would be less offensive.

"Please," Faolán tapped his chair with one hand and squeezed my fingers gently with his other. 

"Um, okay," I muttered as I settled into his seat, noting that Steren had taken a seat to Belenus' left. The werewolf seemed unphased by the exchanges that had occurred.

Wish I could be that confident, I sighed internally.

Belenus took his seat, and he began to speak. "So let's pick back up. You're sure this messenger can be trusted, Elowen?" The discomfort growing in my chest was overpowered by curiosity when he held up an envelope with a wax seal. "Anyone could have gotten their hands on Bellatrix's assistants' seal while we were gone."

"I'm certain. She was Ophelion's cousin," Elowen said. Her red hair brushed her chin as she nodded. I vaguely recalled Ophelion had been Bellatrix's fiancé and tried hard not to fidget while Belenus broke the seal and pulled out a letter. 

"Dearest Aunt, I am so excited that Princess Bellatrix has returned to the castle after her absence. Lord Carwyn has allowed me the honor of serving as one of her handmaidens. She is currently on bed rest, as she was injured during her travels with her traitor brother." Belenus' voice had been edged with tension as he read, but now it devolved into a growl.

She must have written this in code in case someone read it, I mused internally. I didn't have long to dwell on my thoughts because Belenus continued.

"Lord Carwyn came to visit her just last night, to again get her to see reason and agree to his marriage proposal. I don't think he realized I was hanging up dresses in her wardrobe, or he may have held his tongue. Have you ever heard of the First Flame? He says he has bonded with it, and that if she agrees to the marriage, she too can share in its power. 

I must return to my duties. I hope this letter finds you well. May your hearth burn bright and full until dawn. Love, Cora."

"What's the First Flame?" I wondered aloud, just as Belenus slammed his fist down.

I jumped, my cheeks and ears burning in embarrassment as all eyes turned to me. 

"It is the object that the Father used to carry magic and life to our realm," Faolán said. His fingers brushed my shoulder as he stepped around to stand beside me. "Later, I can tell you the whole tale, but if Carwyn really has bonded with it, then we are fighting an impossible war."

"It isn't impossible if he takes the throne by force," Belenus cut in, making everyone else share exasperated looks. "If Carwyn takes the throne by force, we can rightfully call for aid from the other realms." 

"Which is why he hasn't tried to declare himself king yet," General Sayer interjected. "Even so, the other realms are not likely to interfere with our affairs unless they feel threatened."

"Other realms?" I asked and knew my squeak of disbelief was drowned out by the way everyone began to talk over each other. Faolán was now between me and the table, and nothing they were saying made sense. The words Asgard and Tir Na Nog made my head spin when Elowen and Caoimhe said them, and I swore General Sayer suggested something about Athena and Minerva. 

My vision turned, and my chest grew tight. Everyone, even Steren, had moved to the table. The cacophony turned to a low roar in my ears, and it was getting hard for me to breathe again. I gripped the chair and tried to find the wherewithal to stand up and step outside. 

They're talking like all the mythological pantheons are real. My inner voice buzzed in a detached manner. They can't be; they're just stories. 

I couldn't feel my face, and the tent was too full, too small. I needed to get out. Nobody seemed to notice as I staggered from my chair to the tent flap and crashed into a rather willowy-looking teen coming into the tent.