“You have a mix in this room of magickind, elves, and shifters. Out of pure curiosity because I have no argument with who you’ve selected, do you have any immediate plans to expand the advisory panel?” Archon Timotheus Centaurus asked.
“There is one additional person who I will have listed when we formally announce our advisory panel to the Council and that is Killian the Dwyer,” Ellery stated.
“He sent his regrets,” Saura said with a confused frown.
“Whether he likes it or not, he was selected by Fate to help rule the druids. I will have him listed as ‘in absentia,’ but whenever he is ready to accept his responsibilities again, he will have a seat at this table,” Ellery replied.
Saura grinned. “You’re so clever, Elf. Let’s hope he gets word quickly and resumes his duties.”
“That does bring up a question for me. Without Killian the Dwyer, are we going to allow the Circle of Druids to substitute with Aloisa the Dwyer or her mate Clara?” Alpha Artair Ursus Arctos inquired.
“No, the invitation to join our advisory panel will not allow substitutes unless you first gain permission from either myself or Chrys,” Ellery stated emphatically.
“So, I take it there are no objections?” Chrysander asked.
“It’s a fine idea. Brilliant actually. What are our first steps?” Vadimas asked.
“We will announce via press release which will go out this afternoon. Then we will select a time and day of the week that works for us, so we can meet on a weekly basis. The Office of the Emperor will at this point select which bills get assigned to which race. We can certainly negotiate in the future on that, and we believe good communication is essential, so if you feel you are getting too heavy of a workload or if you want more, please speak up. If something comes up between meetings, you have our numbers. Do not hesitate to call,” Ellery said.
He feared it would be difficult to get the leaders at the table to agree to a meeting time, but they surprised him by rapidly agreeing to Friday afternoons beginning this week. Their enthusiasm delighted him. He had hoped for their cooperation, but to have his idea so universally accepted fueled his confidence. He called everything to a close, and each man and woman in the room took a moment to thank him. Ellery in turn made sure they had his gratitude.
Before Saura and T’Eirick left, he took a moment to scrawl the information on the note to Killian. He was going to have the druidic leader involved, even if he had to wait for a millennium to get him into his boardroom.
“Dra’Kaedan. Alaric. Can I speak to you for a moment before you leave?” Chrysander asked as the people filed out of the door. Both men and their mates wandered over, and Ellery gave Chrysander a puzzled look. He had no idea what Chrysander needed them for.
“What’s up?” Dra’Kaedan asked.
Chrysander rubbed a hand over Ellery’s back. “There have been a lot of changes in our lives. Some bad and some amazingly good. I’ve learned so much, and yet I’m still processing some of it. One of them though, was about family. It made me realize I’ve neglected to take care of something long, long overdue.”
“Chrys, are you finally going to do something about our parents?” Damian asked.
“Yes. Fate made me and Ellery emperors. We rule the dragons, and our word is law. I will not tolerate being ignored any longer by the two people who brought me into this world. They live in Europe, blithely ignoring their emperors’ wishes to travel to North America and join the Council. That ends now. I’m going to write to them and tell them they have six months to either request aid from the Consilium Veneficus, or they can pack up their bags to join the Council. After that time, I will no longer fund their lives over there,” Chrysander stated.
Ellery hardly knew a thing about Chrysander’s parents. It wasn’t a subject that came up often, and Damian was far more vocal in his feelings on the matter, but Ellery was glad that Chrysander was no longer allowing them to snub his title.
“Bravo, Chrys. I’ll have that letter in their hot little hands as soon as possible,” Damian crowed.
“What about their mate, Niko? He’s living in the guest house, right?” Costas asked.
Chrysander turned to Dra’Kaedan and Alaric. “That’s where you two come in. I don’t want Niko left over there to fend for himself. That’s not fair. Dra’Kaedan, if you could have your family make a D’Vaire stone that will teleport him here, he can make his own decision in the matter. Alaric, I’d like for you to either speak to him personally or send one of your men. I’ll have a letter you can hand him, but I want to make sure he gets it and that he understands. I don’t want to rely on it simply being slipped under his door like we’ve done with the business cards.”
“I will take on the task personally and tell him about the D’Vaire stone. I will not leave until I am sure he understands and lets me know what his choice is going to be. If it takes more than one visit in the next six months, we’ll make sure he is taken care of,” Alaric promised.
“We have to preselect a location for the D’Vaire stone. Where do you want it to bring him?” Dra’Kaedan asked.
“I think we should use one of our guest rooms. That way he’s not teleporting into anyone. He’s welcome to stay with us until we can find him a home,” Chrysander suggested.
“For Fate’s sake, I’m not sure if I can handle our parents in the condo,” Damian groused.
“They’re going to a hotel,” Chrysander stated. “I’m concerned about Niko and the way he’s been treated. I don’t know why his matebond hasn’t been sealed after all these centuries and I can’t imagine banishing my other half to a guest house. I want to talk to him and get his side of the story. That’s the only reason he gets to stay at the condo. Perhaps he’ll trust us enough in time to be honest about the situation, so we can find a resolution to suit them.”
“After so many centuries, it might be a good idea to offer up having a demon break the bond,” Chander remarked.
“I’m glad you said that because I think either you or Chieftain Acwellan-D’Vaire would be a good avenue to suggest to him.”
“The Acwellan have a history of using the spell, so he’s probably a better bet than I am, but I’ll entertain the idea if he won’t.”
“He might not want his matebond broken,” Costas remarked.
