The Raven and the Dragon

Chapter Nineteen

"We really don't know how she'll feel about this?"

Bo felt a little awkward being in the room during this conversation. He was supposed to be there, to be fair—he'd been invited in, and this was technically a meeting for members of the Raven Court. But the actual topic of conversation made it sound and feel like a family matter. He had no right to be involved in matters like that. But there he was, listening to Alicia and Lady Byrne talk about Lady Loretta Reardon as if Bo knew anything about her.

From what Bo understood, Lady Reardon was quiet and unassuming. That corresponded to what little he'd gathered the few times he'd seen her. With her being the youngest daughter, the only real expectation on her would be that she marry someone rich; with lady Byrne having done so well for herself in that respect, perhaps even that expectation would've been taken off her shoulders. That meant the person they had to rely on to help them end this had likely received no real training In running a country—not as far as they knew, anyway.

But expectations and potential experience didn't matter so much as temperament and willingness to listen to her older sister. The problem with "quiet and unassuming" was it left Lady Reardon a blank slate of outcomes. Many of those outcomes were not desirable.

"Well," Lady Byrne said after some thought, "I can't exactly say that she was fond of our brother. Neither of us were. But you don't have to be fond of someone to remain loyal to them. Or to remain loyal to your family as a whole. If she thinks what he was doing is what's best for our house, then she may keep up the assault."

The thought made Bo's stomach twist. Alicia didn't seem thrilled about it, either. "Do you think...do you think we can renegotiate our trade deal?" she asked. Lady Byrne grimaced; Alicia immediately looked nervous, a feeling that Bo empathized with a bit too strongly. "Should we not do that?"

It took a second for Lady Byrne's face to arrange itself back into its usual businesslike mask. Even once she had, some distaste still lingered in her voice as she spoke: "If it ends this conflict, then we may want to try." She glanced at Bo before adding quietly, "I just don't like the idea of giving ground to the family that killed my husband and threatened my child."

Bo barely managed to keep from looking startled. It was an understandable confession, and certainly one that he agreed with. He just never thought he'd hear Lady Byrne admit to something so emotional in front of him.

If Alicia was surprised as well, she hid it better than Bo likely did. "We don't have to tell her right away that it's an option," she suggested, "without taking it off the table entirely. Assuming we can find a way to speak to her."

"We need to go to her instead of hoping she'll come to us," Lady Byrne said. "The question is how. They've already sent for her?"

"That's what James heard they were going to do. I don't know if they have yet, especially since the generals seem to be of two minds as to how they should proceed."

"And even if they have sent word, the earliest she'd be able to come is in the morning, with the travel times. She'd have to come from the east..." Lady Byrne frowned and rubbed her eyes. "If we can intercept her before she gets to the troops..."

"Go to the Green Isle?" Bo asked. "Wouldn't that make things worse?"

"It would. I was thinking perhaps we could intercept her ship." Oh. That made more sense. "We'll have to consult with King Gideon. Seeing how we don't have access to any of our own boats, coming in by air is our best option."

She had a point. "It would definitely make an impression," Bo said. "He seems to enjoy doing that."

Alicia giggled. "He certainly does. I'll talk to him myself. He should hear it from me, all things considered. I'm the one who asked him to come here in the first place."