The elf was a dark-haired male in robes of purple and gold. He gave Cera a lingering look as he bowed, and then approached Isael, leaning down to whisper in the lord's ear. Isael's expression darkened, and he glanced toward Esodir, who straightened in his seat.
"Allow me to go in your stead," Esodir said.
Isael frowned. "No. You'll stay here with Cera while she finishes her meal, and then escort her back to her room. Maewyn will be waiting for her."
Esodir sucked in a corner of his bottom lip but nodded. "Of course. It would be my pleasure."
Isael, already standing, turned to address Cera. "I am sorry to leave so abruptly, I lost track of the hour. You'll join me for dinner?"
He genuinely wanted to know if she would join him, which implied that she had a choice. She said yes at once, her reflex of compliance sparing her from an awkward pause. But as she watched him leave, she realized that shedidwant to join him for dinner. She even wished she were joining him now, wherever he was going. Watching him leave felt...wrong.
"Was that man someone of note?" Cera asked, once they were alone.
"Him? No," said Esodir. "Just a servant of Casean."
He appeared to have relaxed considerably in his seat, his posture no longer stiff and formal. Cera mentally deducted a year from her estimate of his age.
"Casean?"
"Whatever you want to know, you can ask me directly," he said, reaching across the table to pluck a strawberry from its vine. "What we talk about will stay between us, unless you say anything treasonous."
His eyes danced with amusement as he spoke. Cera was embarrassed by her own lack of subtlety, but mostly she was excited. She had a million questions and she hardly knew where to begin.
Still, she recognized that Esodir was a relative unknown. As her sister had often told her,‘the nicest people are the ones you should least trust.’
"Why did Lord Isael have to leave?" She asked, figuring it was the safest question to begin with.
"Council meeting. I was sent to remind him, but he was in a good mood. I didn't want to dampen it."
"What is the council?"
His brows lifted. "Didn't Maewyn and Jerosyl educate you during your trip?"
Cera might have rolled her eyes, had she possessed one less iota of restraint. "They rarely spoke, and when they did, it was to one another. The journey must have wearied them."
Esodir laughed again, and she noted that his laughter was deeper and more masculine than his voice.
"I could not imagine a more unpleasant pair for you to travel with. They're both decent fighters, though. And loyal to Isael."
"Aren't all elves loyal to Lord Isael?"
"Are all Aterans loyal to your father?"
It was a fair point. Whenever power was concentrated, opposition would rise to counter it.
Not waiting for a response, he went on, "In Atera, you have an embassy building where representatives from the various nations and city states meet, yes?"
"I believe so. It's in the coastal city of Dolen. Everyone arrives by ship, so it makes sense to have it there."
"The council is a lot like that. It's comprised of representatives from the most powerful elven houses. The representatives live here in Viranhildr during the warm months and return to their own people in the winter. While they're here, each represents the will of his local lord or lady. They decide everything from foreign policy to the allocation of goods and infrastructure. They're also responsible for dispatching soldiers, when necessary."
"And Lord Isael is their leader?"
"Yes. And as the high lord, he is the only one who can cast two votes in every matter. He has one vote for Ishvalier, and a second for Viranhildr. It gives him the most sway on the council of twelve, but he could be easily overruled if the other lords worked together." With a shrug, he added, "They never do."
"Still, two votes among twelve lords are not much. I always assumed the high lord of the elves held absolute authority, like a king or an emperor."
"Uncle lets them have their way, for the most part. When he does cast his votes, most of the lords fall in line."