Murtagh bowed, his red locks falling on his broad forehead. 

"What brings you here Haldir?" asked Ileus as they walked to the narrow table where breakfast was laid out rather lavishly. 

Anastasia noticed that apart from Aidan, Guarhal, Tadgh and Kaizan, there were five men who were standing on their side. 

Ileus took her hand in his and intertwined his fingers with hers as he walked to the table and didn't leave her hand even while sitting. Was he trying to make a statement? 

Murtagh sat on Haldir's left while Aidan on his right. 

"Where is Darla?" asked Murtagh. 

"She is unwell," Aidan replied curtly, without looking at Murtagh. 

Ileus shifted his gaze to Haldir and said, "What makes you come and fetch me, Haldir? I know my way back to Draoidh!" He chuckled. 

A crease appeared on his forehead and Haldir took a deep breath. "There is a very important matter we have to discuss, Ileus," he said in a grave tone as his eyes slid and rested on Anastasia for a while. A nervous breath left his lips. 

Ileus jerked his head back. In the past during his ventures out of Draoidh, Haldir had to discuss matters on urgent basis, but this time his demeanor was… misgiving.

Anastasia pursed her lips to give him a tight, nervous smile.

"Durofàlte Anastajia, daughter of Ian and Áine," Haldir said. Welcome Anastasia.

Anastasia's eyes became wide with wonder and curiosity. How did he know her language? It was as if the man was extremely proficient in it. But she immediately offered, "Havla leat." Thank you. She bowed her head in respect. 

With a faint smile he turned his gaze back to Ileus who was now openly staring at him with his amber eyes. "I didn't know that you could speak fae language!" 

Haldir tilted his head and chuckled. "I never felt the need to." He looked back at Anastasia. "Zabro jate Vilinskijaci bili pratci." You forget that elves were ancestors of the faes. "This language comes naturally to us." 

"Oh!" Anastasia rasped. That was impressive. 

"I see that the two of you have been busy," Haldir continued when he glanced at their hands that were still intertwined. 

"Yes, we have been very busy," said Ileus. "So what is it that you want to talk to me about?" asked Ileus. 

From the corner of her eye, Anastasia saw that Murtagh's expressions became serious and a muscle feathered in his jaw. 

"Can we have this conversation in private?" asked Haldir, as he avoided Anastasia. 

She knew they needed space and besides, she was feeling awkward as hell. She began to rise but Ileus stopped her. "Whatever you want to say, you can say in front of her," he said with grit. "She isn't going anywhere." 

She sat down but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. There was something very odd about their behavior. Why did she smell… magic? Were they all wizards? They were looking with coldness and anger towards her. Anastasia noticed that Kaizan and Guarhal stood behind the men who had come with Haldir with their hands beneath their cloaks on the hilt of their daggers. 

At Ileus' declaration, Haldir nodded. He said,  "Okay, gentlemen, let's have breakfast." He picked up oat breads and sausages over which he poured a generous curd dip. As he urged Murtagh and others also to eat their food, he took a big bite of bread. 

Ileus grew impatient but he knew how to mask it well. He hadn't been home for over a year and now that he had Anastasia with him, whom he wanted to go home with. So why was it that Haldir had come to meet him at this crucial juncture? Nothing clicked. His chest tightened but he served breakfast to Anastasia by choosing only light food like berries, white yam with curd and boiled carrots with a good spray of thyme and salt over it. 

The air was getting heavier with tension by the minute. Anastasia wanted to refuse the food, but she squelched her wish and dug in the carrot with her fork. She knew that Ileus was serving her because she needed to recuperate. 

Everyone else sat around them at the long table to have breakfast. Silence hung in the air. 

After a few minutes Haldir stopped eating. He clasped his fingers around the wine glass and took a large sip. "I heard that there is a change in the plan, Ileus," he said without looking at Anastasia. 

"Yes, there has been a dramatic change in the plan and I intend to keep it that way," replied Ileus nonchalantly, firmly. 

"But that doesn't work according to our strategy," said Murtagh in a low throaty voice as if threatening Ileus. 

Haldir interrupted before Ileus could burst into the shadows. "Ileus, the wizard council wants you to go ahead with the plan we had charted out earlier."

Anastasia knew of the plan they were talking about, but she kept her eyes fixed on her plate. So everyone was involved in it. She wanted to say that she knew where Iona was, but that would have been a lie. She only knew the possible location of where she might be kept as a prisoner. In reality, she was taking her chances. And in the matters of royalty, if that one chance went wrong, it would cost you dearly. But she was willing to that one chance...

"That is not going to happen," Ileus said as he ate a piece of pork. 

"Even the council at Silver Vale wants that, Alpha Ileus," Murtagh interjected.

Ileus looked at Murtagh and in a very low and cold voice repeated, "That is not going to happen." Then he turned to Haldir and asked, "What is the opinion of the king and queen?" 

"Their hands are tied by the council. And at the moment most of the council members want you to execute this as soon as possible." 

Anastasia felt as if she would nauseate. She realized that not a single person wanted her. They all hated her… and that is why Murtagh was looking at her with acrimony. But she really needed an audience with the queen. 

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