Divergent
The next morning was a mess.
The second they stepped out of the spiraling staircase, they were met by a distressed-looking Vixonious. When Katniss, who was at the front, asked what was wrong, he said something about a spy and a threat before being consulted by Luxiosiris and the two of them walked off hurriedly towards a side room.
They'd barely taken two steps before Aristotle entered, and upon seeing them, directed his footsteps there. "Just who I was looking for. Come, we must speak with Elyssae-Lydian. She will explain everything."
He gestured for them to follow him, which they did, through a maze of hallways and rooms filled with everything from scrolls to books and charts.
Eventually, the entered a room with little furniture, although there was a few scattered shelves, filled with marked sheets of paper.
One large table sat in the center of the room, holding a map covered in markings.
Elyssae-Lydian stood at one end of the table, eloquent as always.
Beside her stood Orion, who dipped his head upon their entering. His face held a grim expression, the light that had danced in it yesterday had faded somewhat.
Valeigh and Nysiourau stood adjacent to the two, speaking softly. Also in the room was an unknown man who was studying the maps, his face expressionless and composed.
Elyssae-Lydian glanced up when they entered. "Aristotle," she said, nodding in acknowledgment of their presence.
Aristotle's face was etched with tight worry. "Any new developments?" She glanced at the map. "Not yet. But we're getting there." Turning, she addressed Valeigh and Nysiourau. "Will you explain the situation to our newcomers?"
Valeigh hesitated. "With all due respect, should we trust them? After all, they've hardly been here a week."
Elyssae-Lydian narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do you wish to pass up an opportunity to discover more about our enemy, Valeigh? Besides, these people have no connection whatsoever to our enemies, as all communication from inside Primordia to out are blocked. Do you not trust my judgement?"
Valeigh paused, then nodded. "I apologize. I was merely being cautious for the sake of Primordia."
He began to walk towards us, Nysiourau at his heels.
Aristotle began to make his way across the room, towards Elyssae-Lydian and his brother. Elyssae-Lydian looked after Valeigh, and Katniss noticed how tired Elyssae-Lydian looked. Not needing to sleep tired, but exhausted tired. It must be hard to look after a kingdom such as this, especially with a threat on the rise.
She turned to Valeigh, ready to hear the full story behind the commotion of the morning.