He had planned to take Athrar through Valor training under an assumed identity, have him prove himself to his peers, and gather a group of friends and supporters whose loyalty would be unquestioned, before his identity was revealed. The enemy hadn't won this campaign, but he had forced them to move ahead of schedule. He reached through the Threads to Meghianna, who waited in an anteroom outside the throne room with Megassa and the six boys. Ready, my dear? I was ready years ago, she retorted, earning a chuckle from him. That chuckle startled into silence the dozen or so courtiers who stood closest to Mrillis in the throne room. They whispered and nudged the people around them, and Mrillis felt the pressure of more staring eyes focused on him. He nodded, pleased. Let them be uneasy, let them focus on him. He had enjoyed indulging in sleight of hand when he was younger, to amuse Emrillian and her friends as children.
