Attia and Keiro were both awake when Finn's messenger arrived to tell them of the meeting he'd called for that morning. Attia dressed in her usual pant suit and left the room before Keiro had even come back out of the closet. After he'd dressed and discovered her gone, he went down the hallway to Kyra's open bedroom door. Kyra was still asleep, but Attia sat on the bed with her, eyes casted down on the little girl. Gently, Attia pushed back the dark brown hairs that had fallen in front of Kyra's face, before she tucked the falling stuffed animal under her arm as well. Attia peered up at the doorway and smiled weakly at Keiro, who only watched from the doorway. It amazed him how quickly Attia could switch between all her different modes. She could be Finn's perfect political-and-financial advisor, then Keiro's seductive—in all but name—wife, and finally a sweet nurturing mother who packed away a few hidden knives should an threat arise around her children.

As Attia approached the doorway after sliding off of Kyra's bed, Keiro stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door silently shut after Attia. She moved across the hallway to Chris and Finn's shared bedroom to do the same, but it was clear from the noise that the two boys were already awake. This time Keiro joined Attia as they went into the room and sat on the floor with the two boys. They had pulled out a few of their toys and were playing together. As Attia and Keiro joined them, they were quick to assign them positions in their game as well. After a few moments, Attia set down her toy and leaned over to kiss each boy on the forehead before she got to her feet. Keiro promised to come back and finish the game after they were finished with their grownup things before he got to his feet as well.

They walked across Court to get to the Council meeting hall, though there were extra chairs set up around the table. Finn and Claudia were already seated on his side of the table, with Charles on the other side of Claudia. Attia sat beside Finn and Keiro beside her.

"Are you ok?" Finn asked as he turned to Attia. She met his gaze but said nothing before she shrugged.

"I barely slept if that's what you're asking," she replied.

"I added guards to Finn, Chris, and Kyra," Finn told her, deciding not to comment on her response.

"I noticed," she answered as she nodded. He nodded as well before he turned towards the door when he heard it open again. It was Mason who entered the room and took the seat beside Keiro, proving this meeting was not to include Finn's official council, but rather his personal one. Within the next few minutes, King Logan and Queen Abigail entered the room after one of Finn's messengers opened the door for them. Filing it behind them were four of their personal guards and two other men, who carried folders in their arms.

"I didn't expect a formal meeting so soon into our stay," King Logan admitted as he took a seat at the other end of the table. His wife sat on his right while the two non-armed men took seats next to each other on the other side of the King.

"This isn't about your daughter," Finn replied simply as he held the other King's gaze. King Logan rose an eyebrow suddenly but remained quite. Finn said nothing either, but instead turned to Charles, who produced one of the knives from the attackers from beneath the table. He set it on the table in front of the other King before he met the man's gaze.

"Who are these people?" King Logan asked after his gaze landed on the knife, then flicked up to Finn.

"Commander of my Royal Army," Finn answered as he motioned to Charles. "Second in Command," he added as he motioned then to Mason. "The High Duke, The High Duchess, and My Queen," Finn finished, his tone straight and even, his eyes focused on King Logan. "The High Duchess has lands in Primstone, where they often vacation with their children."

"And?"

"That knife was collected from one of three attackers during their last stay there a month ago."

King Logan swallowed as he looked down at the knife again. He leaned forward to pick it up by the handle, his eyes inspecting it as though trying to decide where it had come from. Of course, the symbol on the blade pointed that out rather clearly.

"Why the hell did you have men inside our boundaries a month before you had permission to enter?" Attia demanded suddenly, growing impatient with Finn's approach. If Finn minded that she'd spoken, it didn't show on his face. King Logan peered up at Attia, eyebrow raised as he stared at her as though in shock that a woman had dared to speak to him.

"You cannot deny that symbol belongs to your army," Finn said in tone calmer than Attia's. King Logan's gaze shifted slightly to Finn then, surprise still in his expression.

"They weren't attackers," King Logan finally said.

"Keiro," Finn snapped when he noticed Keiro's mouth opening. Keiro turned to Finn, eyes hard, but Finn held his gaze. While Finn was preoccupied with Keiro, however, he didn't notice Attia between them.

"They weren't attackers?" Attia repeated, tone hard and demanding. "Three armed men looming around my children sounds like attackers."

"Where are they?" King Logan asked, paying no attention to Attia's comment.

"The morgue," Attia answered harshly, forcing King Logan's gaze to remain on her. "That's what happens to anybody who gets that close to my children."

"Is that a threat?"

"No," Finn answered before Attia could, obviously annoyed that he could not control Attia.

"If I was threatening you, you would know," Attia answered, tone still sharp, eyes narrowed.

"Do you know who I am?" King Logan's voice rose as his eyes narrowed and his face contorted into anger.

"I don't give a fuck who you are," Attia shot back and Finn stood up right away, his hand grabbing Attia's arm.

"Enough," Finn told her sharply, but she shook her arm out of his grasp and held King Logan's gaze.

"We are not accountable for what happened to those men," Claudia finally said in her best diplomatic voice. Though Attia's gaze hadn't shifted at all, King Logan turned to Claudia. "Attia is right. You did not have our permission for any of your army to cross our borders. They were trespassing on her lands and they had every right to defend themselves from three armed men. You're free to take their bodies, if you'd like, otherwise they'll be cremated here."

"King Giles," King Logan said, though he still held Claudia's gaze. When he shifted his eyes to Finn, he'd taken his seat and released Attia's arm. "Do you often have women speak for you during your meetings here?"

Finn rose an eyebrow at the question, so genuinely taken back that he didn't know how to respond. "I don't believe they are speaking for me, but for themselves. And we do not draw barriers between men and women at this Council table," Finn finally replied.

The table remained silent as the two Kings stared at each other. Finally, the man seated beside King Logan leaned into him and said something only the two could hear. As King Logan sat up straight again, his eyes shifted to gaze at everyone on Finn's side of the table. "Those men were not instructed to be threatening in anyway. If they were, it was completely accidental, and we apologize for any harm they may have caused."

"Harm?" Attia repeated, before Finn had a chance to respond to the other King. Finn turned to Attia, but she was too focused on King Logan to notice him, then when he shifted his eyes to Keiro, it was clear the blonde would do nothing to restrain her. "Your man almost killed me," she said strongly as she tilted her head up enough for the light to catch the lightening bruises still apparent on her neck. King Logan's eyes lingered on the bruises for only a few seconds before he forced his gaze onto Attia's eyes. Queen Abigail, however, was not very talented at keeping a diplomatic look across her face, which clearly displayed her every emotion. Her horror at the ugly bruises around Attia's neck was no exception.

"Why were they here?" Finn asked since King Logan appeared to have opted out of responding to Attia.

"Simply to watch," King Logan answered, his eyes having shifted to the King seated directly across the long table from him.

"Watch what?" Claudia asked sharply, but King Logan's gaze did not weaver where as his wife's had.

"How things are outside the extension of my power," he replied simply. "They were not to engage except to defend themselves."

"A lot of good that did them," Keiro commented suddenly. Since he'd been silent for the entire duration of the meeting thus far, the sound of an unfamiliar voice pulled King Logan's gaze as well as his wife's and his advisors'. "You'd think three trained and armed men could handle two civilians."

Attia's lips curled up in a smile, as had Claudia's, at the comment, though Finn tried to keep his face as straight as possible. Of course, one look in his direction could prove he was as amused as the women on each side of him.

"Well, needless to say, nobody in my armed forces will under estimate either of you again," King Logan replied, his face hard and still as he took in the hidden insult laced in Keiro's words. "Have we solved the problem, King Giles?" he asked as he turned away from Keiro. Finn stared at the man for a moment before he turned to his left to look at Attia. She saw him turn to her out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her gaze on King Logan. He'd turned to her as well, realizing that she decided if the matter was settled or not, rather than Finn making the decision. When Attia finally nodded twice and turned away to look at Keiro, Finn looked back to King Logan.

"Yes," Finn answered him simply as he rose to his feet. Claudia did the same, linking her arm in his as she stood. King Logan, Queen Abigail, and his advisors did the same on the other side of the table, but Attia remained seated. Since she did not stand, Keiro did not either. The room cleared, Finn and Claudia leaving last but not before meeting Keiro and Attia's gazes. When the door shut behind them, Keiro turned to Attia and reached over to touch her hand on the table.

"Are you alright?" he asked finally, and she only nodded her response.

"Yes," she answered with a nod as she twisted her hand around to push her fingers into his palm. He let her feel around his hand until she intertwined their fingers, her eyes fixated on their joined hands.

"Should we clear out until they leave?" he asked as he watched her. Eventually, she turned her gaze to meet his. She drew in a deep breath before she finally shook her head.

"No, I think we'll stay put for a while," she answered him. He had a feeling there was some other reason for her wanting to stay at Court, but he didn't press her for any other information. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah," he answered with a nod, knowing she wanted to topic to fade away.