Rorie understood and sympathized with the anger of those around him, but he had no regrets. Although what he’d done was rash and impulsive, it was imperative that he get answers. The only thing he wished was that he’d been able to be with his parents and speak to them one last time. That was not to be, but he had many cherished memories, and he could not allow his grief to overwhelm him. There was likely no way he would ever have the chance to experience a dream with Renny’s entire family again, and he refused to waste a minute.
When they arrived on the parapet, there was a confused Drekkoril standing there already, and the second one standing next to Rorie let out a grunt as the two versions of the bemollo merged.
“Thank Bétea I do not have to relive that again,” Drekkoril muttered.
“Roriethiel,” a voice roared from behind them. “Where is the Noble Protector?”
“Sioskallo Xaigan, he is here,” Rorie answered. “Allow me to present Noble Protector Drekkoril. The Vol’Gon era has ended in the year 8176, and Drekkoril begins his reign in Year 28 of the Drek era.”
“Drekkoril is not Fae’is,” Xaigan retorted, then swept into a courtly bow in front of Drekkoril once he made his way past the large cluster of D’Vaires huddled along the parapet and down the staircase. “Noble Protector, I am Sioskallo Xaigan and beg for your permission to continue asLlaidir Sioskallo.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Xaigan. I will consider your request but must learn of all the sioskallos before I choose a leader.”
Xaigan’s expression wasn’t pleased, but Rorie had always been proud of the way Drekkoril didn’t allow the previous leaders’ hand-selected sioskallos push him around.
“I chose the name Drekkoril to honor my Faedrekan,” Rorie stated.
“Noble Protector, I beg of you to demand that Roriethiel formally present his guests, so you may decide if this entire contingent of people needs to stay in the castle.”
“Roriethiel is now titled, Xaigan, and he has already introduced me to everyone. They represent several houses from their culture, and many share the same import of my title. I demand that they be treated with respect. I will present them to the sioskallos and the Fae myself.”
“As you wish, Noble Protector. I would humbly ask that you allow the sioskallos to speak with you privately first.”
“It must wait until the morrow. I have just been summoned and must acquaint myself with everything.”
“Most wise, Noble Protector. You should have a rest. I was most fatigued at my summoning thousands of years ago.”
Rorie was not shielded from necessary politics as his parents tried to forge more power for the fairies who lived under the thumbs of their bemollos. Xaigan might be polite, but he was quietly reminding Drekkoril that he was an ancient. While Drekkoril was the Noble Protector, he was a neophyte, and the former rulers and bemollos of Rorie’s parents, Volzi and Gonisa, had appointed many sioskallos who held themselves above their leader.
“The castle should be emptied of everyone but servants and my guests within the hour,” Drekkoril stated without inflection.
“But, Noble Protector, many sioskallos have spent the last three days under the roof of the castle and will need time to gather their belongings.”
“On whose order did they enter the rooms of the castle?” Rorie demanded. “I gave no permission, as I was far from Sindrell. It is only with an invitation that anyone should avail themselves of a guest suite.”
“Protector, we could not allow Sindrell to deteriorate because you ignored your duty to summon your bemollo.”
“The city would not fall in three days,” Rorie argued.
“You hardly understand the needs of the people or our government, Protector. You are practically a child and one that was guided by your parents, who valued fairies and not bemollos.”
“I grow weary of this conversation,” Drekkoril drawled.
Xaigan’s cheeks pinkened, and he made another bow, then took off running.
“If you wish anyone to listen to your point of view, Roriethiel, you should not start off by arguing with them.”
“You saw how Xaigan talked down to me. I know he has ancient wisdom, but I am no fool. My parents kept me in their company often, and I paid attention to the world around me.”
“Tizisan and Morashi wanted to upend the Fae world. Like you, they refused to accept that there is a reason bemollos have the power and not fairies.”
“Volzi and Gonisa wanted to extend the strength of bemollos and not allow the fairies a voice. The Protectors always had the ear of their bemollos until Volzi and Gonisa forced my parents to request an audience through their sioskallos. They had to be together, but Volzi and Gonisa forbade them to speak.”
“They incited unrest.”
“That was their opinion,” Rorie spat. “You copied their model, listening to the sioskallos instead of me.”
“What would you have me do?”
