The Way We Fall

Chapter 9 (Tigris)

Tigris was fully dressed in her battle clothing for the meeting, her hair braided back artfully. She stared out at the gathered crowd in the council room. Advisors milled around, exchanging murmurs. Finn stood next to her, Kai dutifully at his side. Aodh was deep in conversation with their father at the head of the table.

"Did you look at the books I sent you?" Finn whispered. Tigris smirked at him.

"You know I never do."

"Well you should have." Finn insisted, his cheeks pinkening indignantly, "I think they'll be pertinent during the meeting today if you want to contest father's contingency war plans."

The word was like a bolt of lightning. She whipped towards her brother. "War plans?"

"Contingency war plans." Finn correctly, pushing his glasses up his nose. His green eyes darted to their father. "Father is reviewing possible routes of attack on Irulia. I overheard some advisors after the last session. They think he's not going to back down on the tariffs."

Their father's pride was infamous. When their father didn't back down on something, he was quick to be angered. That didn't bode well.

"Any pleas from Irulia will be taken as a challenge." she murmured. Finn nodded hesitantly.

"That's what I fear. And a challenge with father usually ends in war."

"A war would be devastating." Tigris muttered, "To our people and Irulia. It would only divide us further. The last war between them and the Faultless City ended poorly."

"You know Father's pride." Finn reminded her, stealing another quick glance at their father. "But perhaps he'll see reason. Verita seems to have brought some texts from the library, and from what I can tell, they would not support Father's pursuit of war."

"Verita?" Tigris repeated, scanning the crowd. Sure enough, the old librarian was standing there. At her side, an irksomely familiar Irulian was standing, dutifully holding armfuls of books. But she didn't look like she had when Tigris had last fought her.

She wore a simple red gown that reached the floor, brimmed with fake gold threads. It was clearly cheap, but it didn't have a hole or stain on it like her pink gown had. Her hair was clipped back in a studious style. By all accounts, the girl had cleaned up nicely. She should have looked better. Instead, Roche looked exhausted. She had heavy bags under her vacant eyes. And she wasn't looking at Tigris.

She was looking at the king.

At Tigris' side, Finn stilled. "Tigris, don't antagonize her."

"Why? She's staring at the King. I just want to know why." Tigris replied, moving towards her. Finn caught her arm quickly, holding her back.

"Everyone stares at Father. You made it clear last time that you don't want to talk to her. So don't. Especially not here."

Tigris scowled at him. There was something in Roche's expression that she couldn't dismiss. Her already large eyes were round and shiny with a mix of emotions. Fear and dread, mainly. That wasn't normally the type of stare her father garnered.

"That's not it." she muttered. Finn cleared his throat.

"Tigris. Her parents were Irulians. This meeting might be uncomfortable." he pleaded. That just worried Tigris more.

"So she could be a traitor?"

"Roche spent her childhood in the Faultless Kingdom. Her mother hasn't been to Irulia in well over a decade." Kai butted in. Tigris raised a brow at him.

"You talk to her?"

He blushed slightly. "She's nice, Princess."

Tigris snorted. "Nice isn't a word I'd use to describe her." She knew he was right. From the few moments she'd interacted with Roche, she'd learned that the girl was very outspoken. Outspoken subjects usually weren't the best traitors, they were terrible at secret keeping. There was still a chance, though. Tigris pulled her hand away from Finn and moved across the council room with an easy smile that warded off any suspicions the advisors might have had. She heard Finn groan behind her, but heard his footsteps follow. Verita was locked in conversation with another advisor as they approached. Roche didn't seem to see them coming, she was too busy staring at the King.