Riona dreaded the idea of currying favor with the politicians. Even those on her mother's side would inevitably face conflicts of interest.
Ultimately, their decisions would be based on what benefitted them most, not on what could bring justice to light.
But she had no choice. She had no other ideas, and this was the only plan Thorin had suggested—or at least, it seemed that way. She would go along with his plan until she found another way to reject the petition.
When the sun was at its peak, and the vampires went to rest, Riona slipped into Florian's chamber. Fortunately, he had not been affected by Riona's reckless entrance at the grand banquet.
While Lady Maris was the instigator of the petition, Riona's behavior at the grand banquet had also been less than desirable. She had given the nobles an opportunity to trample on her dreams. She had only herself to blame for this.
