Opening the door he stepped into the room before Chris. Trying to keep her behind him as much as possible. But it was clear the minute she was seen as the entire mood of the room shifted.
Chris looked over his shoulder, immediately her eyes were drawn to Brennan who was sitting next to the empty chair at the table. He gave her a slight nod of acknowledgement before looking away.
He waved his hand for them to continue. And as the tension only grew the man at the front began talking again. Making sweeping hand gestures as he periodically wrote on the board. "... Due to their landlocked status, we could easily cut off supplies from their cities..."
"First off all of you're an idiot-"
"I had one request… just one." he grumbled under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off the incoming headache.
"All the cities of Ametade are self-sufficient. And anything that they lack can be sourced from another part of the country. It's like you are trying to show off your ignorance."
The man at the board was clearly insulted. Not just by her words, but the fact that it was a woman who had attempted to correct him. "The girl is very beautiful. Good decoration for your arm, just as she should be. It would be best if you taught her to remain quiet."
"Commander Silas, just a suggestion, but I would advise you from making such statements."
"Look at the way she stands behind you. She is using your position to defend herself and her actions."
"You misunderstand. The only reason she is behind me, is that it would be inappropriate for her to kick your ass in front of everyone."
"Children these days. No respect. The future king should ...."
His words faded into the background as something inside Chris clicked into place. Her face went blank for a moment before it lit up brighter than the sun. "Children…. Children," she drew a short breath, "It's the kids! That's it Zeven, it's the kids!"
She turned to Brennan, grabbing his hands she pulled him up from his chair wrapping her arms tightly around him. "If the children never learn to hate each other…" words feel out of her mouth in time as she began to string ideas together. "We could bring them together, make our peace through them and for them."
Her smile stretched from ear to ear. White cheeks a rosy color. Even her grey eyes seemed to have a different shine to them.
Seeing her stand so closely with Brennan frustrated Zeven. This was between her and him. Brennan had nothing to do with it. He had not sat there with her for all those hours, he had not put her to sleep when she exhausted herself from thinking too hard, he had not been there. And more than that he was also not about to lose her.