"The news does not surprise me. Vel Serranis has spent the last thousand years outwitting enemies far more wily and dangerous than a troop of King's Guards." He didn't even have to wonder where Gaelen would be. A bloodsworn warrior never wandered far from the woman to whom he'd sworn himself. Unlike a certain unworthy truemate. Rain grimaced. When this was over and he could go to Ellysetta, he knew he would have a long, hard road to earn back the trust he'd so cravenly thrown away last night.

Dorian was speaking again. Rain forced his attention back to the king and caught the last part of what he was saying. "-so, will you stand in vel Serranis's stead and answer any questions my lords ask of you?”

"I will not stand as a prisoner in sel'dor chains, if that is what you mean," Rain answered, "but I will answer the Council's questions as best I am able.”

Dorian nodded. "Fair enough, My Lord Feyreisen.”

"Your Majesty!" Sebourne protested. "You cannot be serious. We can't believe anything he says. The Truthspeaker is not here to confirm his words, and the Fey have already proven their gift for deception.”

Rain glanced at the contentious lord and arched a disbelieving brow. "You wish to Truthspeak me? You spit on the Fey, attack us at every turn, yet still want to reap the benefits of our many gifts?" He laughed without humor. "The Fey have a word for foolish mortals like you. Dravi’norah. Maggot food.”

"How dare you!”

"Calling a rultshart by its name is the least of what I dare, Lord Sebourne." Rain lifted one corner of his mouth, baring the edges of his teeth, and leaned forward. His pupils lengthened and widened as he sighted his prey. "You know very well the Fey are not half the enemy you claim them to be, else you'd not dare continue to taunt and torment us as you do, but I warn you, tairen are not so tolerant. Push me far enough, mortal, and this tairen will show his fangs." He turned his back on the man, ignoring his furious sputtering. "Ask your questions, King Dorian, then grant me the freedom to speak, as we agreed.”

"Very well." Dorian ignored the furious Sebourne. "As you have reminded me, I did invite you to address this Council. Considering the gravity of the matter before us, we will listen to what you have to say, but first, let us address the matter of Gaelen vel Serranis. He admitted to slaying Celierian in the north. That is a fact not in dispute.”

"Agreed. I was mistaken about that. Gaelen swore under shei'dalin touch that dahl'reisen, not the Eld, are indeed to blame for the dead villagers ... but he also swore the ones he killed were Mage-claimed.”

"As Lord Sebourne pointed out earlier," Annoura interrupted, "Mage-claiming is known to be undetectable. How can Gaelen vel Serranis be certain the ones he killed were, in fact, Mage-claimed?”

"Until last night, I believed as you do. No one-not mortal, Fey, Elf, or Danae-has ever known who is Mage-claimed until they act. But the dahl'reisen have discovered a way to do what we cannot. Gaelen says the ones he slew were in the service of the Mages. He swore it, under shei'dalin touch. I believe him, as should you.”

Behind Annoura, Rain saw one of her little lapdog lordling's eyes go wide with fear. A similar but more somber concern was reflected in the faces of some of the lords who held land along the border. Unfortunately, those few were outnumbered by the many showing open doubt.

"There is more," Rain added. "Gaelen also warned us that Eld troops were gathering along the border.”

"Oh, for the gods' sake," Sebourne exclaimed. "Must we listen to this propaganda? Gaelen vel Serranis-an admitted murderer-now claims he can detect the undetectable and see invisible Eld troops gathering across the Heras River. Your Majesties, this is an utter fabrication, and not even a credible one at that!”

"Is it?" Rain countered. "I, too, wanted to reject what Gaelen said. I wanted to hide from the truth, as Celieria has long been doing, but the tairen convinced me I could not. They reminded me that I have a duty, no matter how unpleasant or frightening it may seem, to defend the Fey and protect the world from Mage evil. They reminded me that I have a duty to my mate, and to her kin, and to the Fey-kin among you." He glanced at Dorian, Barrial, and Teleos, and said, "Tairen do not abandon their kin. Tairen defend the pride.”

He turned back to Sebourne and pinned the man with a hard gaze. "I flew to the Eld border last night, Lord Sebourne. I crossed the Heras and scouted five miles deep into Eld, and what I saw confirmed Gaelen's claims. Those caravans bursting with produce you say you've watched pass by every day? They've been carrying more than vegetables. The Eld have been smuggling troops and armaments along the border, right under your noses. The villages have all been trenched and fortified. The Eld are preparing for war.”

Several of the other border lords sat up a little straighter. How many of them, Rain wondered, had also watched the caravans from their own keeps and thought nothing of them?

Sebourne would not be swayed. "If the Eld have strengthened their defenses along the border, Worldscorcher, it's most likely because they learned that you"-he jabbed a finger at Rain-"are no longer safely locked away behind the Faering Mists!”

"That is a possibility," Rain agreed. "But can you afford to take the chance?”

Several seats down from Sebourne, Lord Darramon, one of the moderates of the Twenty, rose to his feet. "Even assuming the Mages have regrouped-and that is an unsubstantiated assumption-and even assuming the Eld have built up their troop strength along the border, why would they attack us now? Celieria has shown no aggression towards the Eld in centuries. What cause have we given them for war?”