Minutes later Aiden a frown on his face walked in with Ryuu. "What's this about using a guest suite?"
Meryn nodded. "It's been reserved for my minions. I want them to get the larger guest suite next to the media room, which we will later be tricking out as our command central." Meryn reached down to her ever-present backpack and pulled out her laptop.
Aiden just stared then shook his head. "I'm not going to ask." He turned to Jaxon and Noah. "Welcome aboard and good luck." He walked out yelling to Colton to move Lennox to another room.
"Just like that?" Noah whispered.
"I told you buddy. I had a good feeling about this, like we were supposed to be here." Jaxon punched his friend lightly in the shoulder.
Elizabeth felt a sliver of ice slide down her spine at his words. She looked over to Ryuu and saw that he too had felt something. Jaxon was more right than he knew, they were meant to be here.
"Meryn..." Elizabeth started.
Meryn waved a hand at her. "Shush for a second, my brain is working. I think I have designed a new program, each unit in the future will get a sixth man. He'll be the unit's eyes and ears, their communication link and relay." Meryn tapped away furiously.
"So mote it be," Ryuu whispered from the other side of the room.
Elizabeth clearly saw the important role these two underestimated and overlooked men would play and why Meryn was so necessary to be, who she was, where she was, and who she was mated to.
"Ryuu, I think a bottle of champagne is in order," Elizabeth said sitting up. She was watching history unfold right before her. She also realized why she was brought to Lycaonia. Meryn may be the one creating and teaching this program but it would need someone like her to organize it and keep it running.
"I do believe you are right," Ryuu said and went to the kitchen.
Meryn, Jaxon and Noah stared at her as if she lost her mind.
Ryuu walked back in with five empty flutes glasses and an open bottle. He poured a glass for each of them handing Meryn half a glass.
They had just lifted their glasses to toast when the warriors and trainees walked in from carrying in all the luggage. They looked around in confusion. Ryuu nodded to Elizabeth.
She responded the only way she knew how.
She stood and lifted her glass to the room before reciting one of her favorite quotes of all time. "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil."
"May we perform the jobs given to us well." Ryuu lifted his glass in salute. Together they both downed their glasses. Meryn, Jaxon and Noah grinning, drank theirs.
"I love that movie! You're like my Yoda and my Gandalf," Meryn said, easily finishing off her half glass.
Elizabeth smiled, she could think of no higher praise from Meryn.
"Whatever needs doing, Noah and I can help." Jaxon said confidently.
"Beth, love, what is going on?" Gavriel walked over to her, taking her glass from her hand and pulling her into his arms.
For a moment she simply enjoyed the feel of him. His solid frame seemed to anchor her. She thought before she spoke. She had to be careful of what she said, she didn't want to disrupt Meryn's train of thought. She looked up at her mate and shook her head smiling. "Meryn is making history. She has just changed the structure of how units will be run."
"What?" Aiden and Colton asked in unison.
Aiden walked up behind Meryn. "Baby, you can't just change something that has worked for thousands of years, this, whatever it is, needs to be discussed with the council. You need to ask permission before you try to implement changes." Aiden waved at her laptop.
Meryn looked up at him from her laptop. "You mean where I go in and visit with your father the Shifter Elder, who loves me, Celyn the fae Elder, who adores me and Rowan the witch Elder, who admires me and I tell them I have this stupendous idea to save lives. That sort of thing?" she asked.
Aiden groaned. "They have spoiled you too much. Even if you were to get their blessing, this goes beyond Lycaonia. This type of unilateral change needs to be accepted in every pillar city."
Meryn patted his chest. "Which is why as Unit Commander you're going to tell them you support me one thousand percent. You can make changes to the units, I know, I looked it up last week just in case I had to pull rank again."
Aiden ran a hand through his hair. "It will never get the support from all the other cities."
Elizabeth faced Aiden. "My uncle will support it if I tell him to and I will. Her idea to add a sixth man to every unit to act as its own command central will save lives, I'm sure of it."
Aiden looked from Meryn to her back to Meryn. "That's just Lycaonia and Noctem Falls."
Darian cleared his throat. "Actually if Meryn were to suggest it, my queen would also support her. She likes Meryn and has already invited her to the fae city, which is no small feat. She finds Meryn's new outlook refreshing and inspirational. She would have the support of Éire Danu as well."
Aiden looked around a bit wild eyed.
Colton stepped forward and clapped him on the back. "Aiden, it's a good idea, in fact, it's a great idea. I know I, for one, would feel a hell of a whole lot safer if I knew someone like Meryn was watching out for us when we're called out on a mission. Hell! Do you know how much red tape she could slash through by hacking the local law enforcement systems? This could literally save lives, our lives. And I don't know about you, but knowing that my mate is on the way, I want to be around to meet her. And you have Meryn 2.0 to raise." Colton elbowed his friend.