Manaen had already tactfully disappeared. The little rat reads my dispatches, he noted with displeasure. I should have known. Maybe it’s time to find a new majordomo. After all he had done for Davi, this was how his nephew repaid him—betrayal. It hadn’t been easy to get the Council to ignore the murder of a soldier. Xalivar had explained the circumstances to the members a few at a time in private, and all agreed it was bad for both the Royal Family and the Alliance to proceed with any charges. The few who were reluctant had been convinced with careful reminders of their own families’ secrets. Now, here Davi was, trying to undo everything in one fell swoop! What is the boy thinking, taking a leave without my permission? I am not just his uncle! I am High Lord Councilor! I should have never allowed Miri to raise the boy herself. I should have stepped in the moment I settled on Davi as my heir. This would not be happening if the boy had a proper sense of his responsibility to the Alliance and his place in it.
