Grayson lowered himself into a cushioned chair inside the council meeting chamber, wincing a bit as his back met with the chair. His shoulder had healed considerably after the dream he’d shared with the Seer this morning, but it would take either time or more sexual energy to heal it completely.

      He had taken a seat near the raised dais—where the king and queen would sit once they entered—mainly because the stadium-type seating around the gallery wasn’t as comfortable as the overstuffed chairs here on the main floor.

      Until he’d injured his shoulder, Grayson had never realized how much he used those specific muscles. Now, nearly every movement speared shooting pains down his back and side.

      The sharp clack of a balda gavel echoed through the chamber, distracting him from his discomfort as the crowd around him quieted.

      King Stone and Queen Alyssandra entered through the same doorway Grayson had, and both cast him a smile as they stepped past him and onto the raised dais.

      “Thank you, council head.” Alyssandra nodded to the woman who had been in the job less than a month. After the last council head had attempted to kill the queen right after the ascension, the entire council had been interviewed and eventually replaced with those who were loyal to the ruling family. Of course, seeing your predecessor turned into a burned husk before your eyes could really inspire a desire to do your best.

      Stone sat in one of the large thrones gracing the dais while Alyssandra remained standing and faced the crowd. She brushed her palms over the front of the gauzy white skirt she wore—an action Grayson had learned showed how nervous she was.

      “As many of you know, the Seer has been found and is recuperating here on Tador from the Cunt attack.”

      Murmurs flowed through the crowd and then died away as the queen held up her hands for silence. “She was hit with a beam of Cunt energy during the attack, but otherwise appears unharmed.”

      Gasps of outrage erupted from the crowd until Alyssandra waved for silence and tucked her hair behind her ear—another nervous gesture. “We have not yet spoken to her about the triangle, and have decided not to mention it until she becomes comfortable with the Klatch and Tador. I would like to ask cooperation from everyone on this matter. It’s no easy task to ask someone to give up their entire life.”

      Alyssandra’s gaze roamed the room as she made eye contact with several Klatch. “Now I’ll open the floor for questions, but please remember, the decision to move forward with the triangle has already been made, and I won’t waste time rehashing those discussions. The time for everyone to band together and support the decision of your chosen ruler is at hand.”

      Here it comes…The decision to move forward with the triangle had basically split the populace, and only because Alyssandra was queen did the people not openly rebel.

      Valen, the head royal chef, stood. Alyssandra recognized him and motioned for him to speak. “My queen, I and many other citizens have obvious concerns with introducing humans, even gifted humans, into the Klatch bloodlines. After all, the Cunts are a result of too many generations of dilution of our line. Might we not, with this decision, be breeding a new race who will seek to destroy us down the road?”

      Grayson shook his head. He would never understand which part of “I won’t waste time rehashing those discussions” these people didn’t understand. He glanced up at Alyssa, whose jaw was clenched.

      “Valen, as I’ve stated before on many occasions, the triangle has been used at least three times in our history that we know of.” Despite Alyssandra’s obvious displeasure, her voice was calm and commanding as it rang out across the chamber. “We are talking about taking human women with special gifts—human women who most likely have some Klatch blood in their distant pasts—and mating them with pureblood Klatch princes. The worry about diluting our bloodline will be moot if we no longer have a planet to live on.”

      “We understand the dire nature of our circumstances, my lady, but we respectfully disagree with the methods of repair. Surely—”

      “Damnit, Valen!” Grayson’s patience snapped like a brittle twig in a windstorm. He pushed to his feet, ignoring the lances of pain that shot down his back and shoulder. “We have talked this subject to death, and many of you don’t seem to be listening to the answers.” He stepped onto the dais, and Alyssandra squeezed his hand before taking a seat on the throne chair next to Stone, and yielding him the floor.

      “There is no other way to save Tador.” Grayson tried to stare Valen down, but the man refused to look away. “Our best researchers have searched for a solution since soon after the Cunt revolt, and only through uncovering the treachery of the past Klatch council and breaking the spells placed on the journals in the queen’s archives did we find out how our ancestors handled this situation. They persevered, and so shall we, but we must maintain a united front.”

      Several members of the crowd nodded in support of his words, but several more, including Valen, only glared or shook their heads.

      “Everyone here was happy to leave the planet in Alyssandra’s hands when Queen Annalecia was deteriorating and nearly at death’s door. However, now that Alyssandra has ascended, you wish to second-guess her at every turn.” Grayson made a sharp, chopping motion with his good arm. “Enough. Are there any questions about the Seer or the triangle itself? If not, there is no more business to be discussed today.”

      He turned and walked off the dais, his anger and frustration burning with each step. A sea of voices followed him out into the hall until he slammed the door behind him.

      “It’s a good thing I won’t ever have to rule—diplomacy is definitely not my strong suit.”