“Hmm,” was all Maya murmured in reply; but sneaking a glance at her again, there was something like a self-satisfied smile on her stern features. The thought that his favor might be so obvious to an outsider was mortifying, but if he tried to defend himself it would only solidify her opinion, so he remained silent.
Luckily, the final guest Yue Lang arrived at that moment; and when they were all ushered into the kitchen, Adrissu was seated on the opposite end of the long table as Maya, far enough away that they could not easily converse. Even if she had tried, Benil seemed eager to make up for their lack of conversation earlier in the evening, chatting incessantly at him through the first two courses of the meal.
By the time dessert was being set out, there was palpable anticipation in the air. Benil, Ellisa, and Shefali kept glancing surreptitiously over at Cyrus, the most senior member of the council, who sat next to Ellisa at the head of the long table. Adrissu was sure that they would soon learn the reason for this dinner invitation.
When the servant had quietly left the dining room, but before anyone started on the dish—a simple dessert of cold cream and fresh berries dusted with sugar—Cyrus finally stood, wineglass still in hand.
“Thank you all so much for joining us tonight,” the man said, his voice a deep and resonant bass tone that effortlessly filled the room. “Adrissu, Maya, and Yue, I’m sure I can speak for the whole council when I say that we all admire you deeply and recognize the positive impact you’ve had on Polimnos and its citizens.”
The other council members murmured their assent. Maya nodded curtly. Yue, who Adrissu only vaguely knew, lifted a placating hand in a gesture of modesty. Adrissu managed a tight-lipped smile as he looked back at Cyrus who was surveying them all, his expression largely inscrutable beneath his facial hair. He always had a more difficult time reading humans with beards.
“It is because we’ve recognized your positive influence that the Polimnos council and myself would like to extend an offer of councilorship to each of you,” Cyrus said, when the other members quieted down. The tension in the room broke as Adrissu leaned back in his chair, watching the slightly relieved expressions on both Maya and Yue’s faces: this was exactly what they had been expecting as well.
“As Polimnos has grown, we’ve decided expanding the council is the most logical next step,” Ellisa explained, interjecting before Cyrus could continue. “Of course, you can decline if you’d prefer; but the five of us decided that the three of you are among the best Polimnos has to offer, and can help guide the city to an even brighter future.”
“Precisely,” Cyrus agreed. Across from him Benil Branwood was nodding eagerly, his beady eyes darting rapidly between Cyrus and Adrissu. “You needn’t give us a decision immediately, but if you’re unsure, one of us will reach back out to you in three day’s time.”
“No need for that,” Yue Lang said quickly, smiling. “I’m honored you’d consider me, and I’ll gladly accept.”
“Excellent, excellent,” Cyrus said, nodding, as the other council members clapped their hands enthusiastically.
“I’m flattered as well,” Maya said around a tight-lipped smile. Her expressions were nearly inscrutable—if anything, her face was not expressive at all, Adrissu thought. “My duty to the guild will always come first, but if that won’t cause problems, I’d be happy to accept a position on the council.”
“Oh, of course,” Cyrus agreed, nodding. “We wouldn’t want it any other way. We believe the mercenary’s guild could potentially become one of the supporting pillars of Polimnos itself, so cultivating it will become a priority of ours, as well.”
An expectant silence settled over the room, as each set of human eyes flickered over to Adrissu. He sighed, swirling the wine in his goblet for a moment before speaking.
“I must thank you for your consideration,” he started slowly, unsure which one he wanted to look at as he spoke. Finally, his eyes flickered up to Maya and stayed trained on her. “I will certainly consider this, but... I’m afraid I can’t give as definitive of an answer as Maya or Yue at this time.”
There was another beat of silence, and he risked a glance over to the councilors. Cyrus looked utterly unfazed. Ellisa and Shefali looked mildly surprised, and both were glancing over at Benil, whose grin had faltered into a nervous grimace.
“I completely understand,” Cyrus said smoothly, as if he did not notice Benil’s blanched face. The thought that the others ignored Benil as much as did gave Adrissu a tiny hint of satisfaction—maybe being on the council wouldn’t be too terrible. “Are there any particular concerns you might have that perhaps we could address for you?”
“Well,” Adrissu sighed, taking a sip of his wine to collect his thoughts. There weremanyreasons as to why he shouldn’t accept a position on the Polimnos council, but which were reasonable to share? “I suppose that while I’m flattered at your consideration, I don’t entirely see why you might choose me amongst these community leaders.” He gestured further down the table to where Maya and Yue sat. “They are proprietors of thriving businesses that have had huge impacts on the culture of Polimnos: its exports and trade, its taxes and funding... And I am only an outcast elf, playing around with magic in an isolated tower.”
He smiled as he said it, eliciting a few nervous chuckles from the others.
“You’re much more than that, of course, Adrissu,” Benil stammered, and this time it was Adrissu’s smile that faltered.
“Of course,” he agreed. “I only mean that... Polimnos is a human city. I appreciate your apparent fondness of me, but I doubt that the city’s residents might be as... amenable to my own non-human sensibilities and instincts. They might question why the only resident elf gets an entire council seat to himself.”
“Why, that’s—” Benil sputtered, but Cyrus raised a placating hand to silence him.
“If I may,” the older man said evenly, keeping his eyes trained on Adrissu. He was liking the man more and more, now. “I understand your concerns, Adrissu; and frankly that they are a concern at all to you only speaks to your character.Thatis the kind of admirable quality we’d like to keep on the council. You have lived in Polimnos nearly since its inception, and as an elf, you will more than likely see its progress far longer than anyone at this table.”
“Of course,” Adrissu agreed. If they only knew how true it was!
“And why shouldn’t we strive to be a bit more like elves, anyway?” Ellisa said, laughing. “I mean, Aefraya has a much nicer track record than Autreth, as far as wars and conquerors.”
“Aefraya and the orcish tribes have been at war for centuries,” Adrissu pointed out, and the older woman waved her hand dismissively.
“Anyone bordering the orc tribes would war with them. They refuse to acknowledge borders. That’s hardly their fault,” she said, shaking her head. “No, Aefraya has been a stable, prosperous nation for just as many centuries. We could take a page or two from their book. I know I’m not the only human who thinks so, Adrissu.”
“And in the end, humans respect power,” Maya said, speaking up for the first time. Several pairs of eyes swung to look at her, but her gaze was firmly on Adrissu. “I’m loath to admit it, Adrissu, but you’re probably the most powerful one in the room anywhere you go. I’ve trained to fight all my life, but to me magic is something else entirely. You could kill me right now if you wanted to.”
Adrissu met her eyes, his mind racing. It was completelyimpossiblefor the human woman to have even any inkling of his secret; yet her statement implied some level of knowledge that she knew, or at least suspected, he was not what he appeared. He had never harmed anyone with his magic—not for as long as he’d lived in Polimnos as Adrissu. He had given no one any reason to believe he was dangerous. Was his persona of an eccentric, studious mage truly so flimsy?
“Not that we think youwould, of course, Adrissu,” Cyrus said, a hint of nervousness in his voice for the first time. Adrissu blinked and finally tore his gaze away from Maya to glance back over at him. “What Maya is trying to say, I think, is that magic is its own power. Even your purely academic study of magic could benefit the city in hundreds of ways.”
