Meetings take forever

Shayn was having trouble concentrating on the meeting. Roland was going back and forth with the Fae and Jarnsaxa, catching up on what was going on in the worlds. Shayn had heard almost all of it on the journey already. 

Gwen couldn't do much. She had gone through multiple dangerous worlds to get to this one. The other Fae could see and hear everything, but Gwen didn't have direct access to them like she normally would when she came to this world. Yes, it was getting worse and the rest of the Fae would be thrust into this world as theirs dissipated. 

Gwen did have more information than any of the humans, even if it wasn't the complete story she might have had with the rest of her kind. 

Roland seemed unduly fascinated by the giants' transformation. Shayn found them much more tolerable in human form… or perhaps part of that was the fact that they were much more humble now on top of not making his ears bleed when they spoke normally. 

A variety of emotions and reactions played out as the Council went over everything that happened. Former King Duncan seemed relieved that the people would not have to bear the burden of attempting to feed giants.

Caspian seemed to be concentrating on Beast's forces and what that would mean for the rest of humanity to try to resist. 

How does one fight an enemy that can take some, or all, of your forces from you at the drop of a hat? 

Shayn struggled not to disrespectfully run from the room, jump on a horse, and go after Kyler. What had his brother been thinking? The crazy promises of a likely-insane man about a strange monster from the sea should not have been enough to persuade his steady, fun-loving brother to abandon his family! 

Riley was eyeing him, and Shayn stood straighter. The meeting adjourned for a break; since the travelers had come straight to the City Hall, they were tired, hungry, and thirsty. Refreshments would be needed for these heavy discussions to continue. 

"I wonder how Mother is," Shayn frowned at his elder brother. They both knew she doted on Kyler. 

"Amelia is a strong woman and will weather this, though of course it is difficult for her to fathom." Roland said from the side. "Gabriel is some comfort to her, but of course, having you both back will ease her mind even more." 

"I'm not staying," Shayn blinked. "I have to get him, before that Beast does." 

"Over my dead body," Riley glared at him, but Shayn stood his ground. 

"Didn't your king just say you don't have the forces to stop deserters? Consider me one. If you order me to stay, I'll become a traitor, at least until I have him back. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Riley looked the younger man up and down, then turned to Roland. "I hate when they grow up, don't you?" 

"It's strange, isn't it?" Roland replied with a half smile. "Our own children will be taller than us any day, and ready to take on the world… worlds, I suppose, however they look when all this is done." 

The king fell into silent contemplation as the brothers resumed their battle of wills. 

"You can't go without seeing Mother," Riley's eyes narrowed, and Shayn saw the angle he was coming from. 

"Her orders won't be stronger than yours. She knows I'm the best chance of getting Kyler back." The younger shot back. 

The General's eyes turned sad, and he nodded. "Tell her I'll come by when I can, but I'm safe. I have my wife and children to see to, but I will make time for her soon." 

"I'm coming with you," Simone said quietly, causing both men to jump. 

"What?" 

"Absolutely not!" 

The men had spoken at almost the same time, and Simone looked back and forth between them. 

"I know I might not be a lot of help, but Kyler is uncommonly kind, and I want to do whatever I can for him," The woman insisted. "... unless, you think I'll slow you down." 

The humble end to the sentence made Shayn's retort die in his throat. He wasn't entirely confident that he could talk Kyler out of whatever this crazy decision was. It was so out of the blue that he couldn't even find the reasoning behind it, let alone chart a path to make him back away. 

The spunky librarian had shown a talent for handling the giants. Perhaps she could be of help in convincing Kyler to come home. 

"He must have gone on horseback," Shayn reasoned, "but he won't be able to mount and dismount easily without help. It also pains him to ride too long, so I think we have a real chance of catching up to him if we leave immediately." 

"We?" Roland cut back into the conversation after being briefly distracted by a question from Jarnsaxa about accommodations. 

"Simone thinks she's going with him," Riley confided with a knowing look that Shayn ignored. 

"It's too bad we don't have any experience with stubborn women in Klain," Roland pursed his lips, "or this would be a real predicament." 

Shayn stole a look at Simone, who seemed a little confused by the exchange. Still, she seemed determined, and though it would put her in more danger than he wanted, it would be something of a relief to have her alongside him. 

If he failed to bring Kyler home, it might break him without some kind of support. 

"They won't kill each other, will they?" The king asked Riley seriously. 

"I suppose they haven't yet, but it does seem inappropriate to send them off together without a chaperone." The General frowned. Shayn grimaced. That was entirely true. 

"You sent us off without a chaperone to track down the giants," Simone pointed out, "isn't that damage already done?" 

Shayn looked at her in surprise. Was she that set on going after Kyler? She didn't look at him, leveling her gaze at Riley and Roland.

The two leaders exchanged a glance. The General shrugged, and the king sighed. Judah chirped, and Roland looked at him curiously. 

"Really?" He asked. 

Judah chirped again, and went to stand beside Simone. She lifted a hand to stroke the soft spotted fur behind one of his ears, and he made a low grumbling sound like a purring cat. 

"Is your furry friend offering to chaperone the young people, Roland?" Riley noted with amusement. 

"It does appear that way, doesn't it?" The king smiled. "It does give you a much better chance of catching up to Kyler." 

"And if Shayn misbehaves, Judah can eat him," The General winked at his younger brother, and Shayn rolled his eyes. 

He had no intention whatsoever of misbehaving. 

"I would be very grateful," Simone nodded at Riley, causing the man to laugh out loud. 

"I love it! She's perfect for you, Brother," The General clapped Shayn on the back. The younger man winced and reddened. 

"She didn't mean–" He tried. 

"Oh, of course, of course she didn't," Riley looked Simone up and down with a smile. Shayn was mortified. This was almost as bad as having Mayra around! 

"I thank you for your worry," Simone curtsied to each of the officials, with a smile for the Treasurer, who looked like a concerned parent. "We will go as soon as we can resupply for the journey." 

She glanced at Shayn for confirmation of her statement, and he nodded. The growing admiration he had for the woman swelled as she willingly put herself into danger for his brother's sake. Worry fought in his heart as he struggled to keep his concentration on the current matter. 

"I'd stay to make a full report, but, well, you have a Fae now, so there's nothing of value I can add to the information available," Shayn bowed to his king, saluted his brother, and hurried from the room. 

"How much do you want to bet…" Riley's voice echoed after him, causing Shayn to quicken his steps before he could overhear what kind of wager Roland was about to be offered. 

His eldest brother could be a pain. 

Simone was quiet as she kept up beside him, and he couldn't help but glance at her with open curiosity. 

"You don't have to come, you know," He said. "It will be dangerous. On top of that, you'll be around me all day. You can still back out, there's no command from the king this time." 

She looked up at him with her clear eyes, a ghost of a smile on her lips. 

"I'm well aware, but thank you for the information." 

"Does that mean you're still coming?" He tried to keep the hope out of his voice. He should be trying harder to leave her behind. Bringing her anywhere near the Beast again posed untold dangers. 

She reached up to scratch Judah behind one ear and slipped a brief look at Shayn. "I think you're smart enough to figure that out."