Sitting next to Dorian, Miran watched as the Grand Councilors filed into the conference room that had been chosen for the day's meeting. Dorian made small talk with the councilors as he pretended to be busy on his techpad. Miran knew the room was a stage and on it, a power play was about to start in which the characters would be assigned roles. He had to ascertain his position in right from the start, it was better to stay on the sidelines than get sucked into the inferno of their politics.
"Why do I have to pretend?"
Reyna's voice rose from the back of his mind. She had left with Serena that morning and he had been restless since then. Reyna wasn't used to subtlety, sending her to the academy had been an inconsiderate idea but he couldn't come up with anything better.
