“I presume we’re meeting in the middle of the night because we’ve received urgent news from Vivarre,” she said flatly as she set her goblet on the table.
“Yes,” Demetrius said, pulling out his own chair. He cleared his throat, his face coloring slightly. “Vivarre learned of Marcus’ disappearance with alarming speed. Likely through the goddess Penelopia. We’ve received word from them.” He unfurled the parchment in his hands. “I’m not extremely proficient in Vivarrian, but the letter was simple enough. It says: ‘To Queen Thea of the Iosians: We have learned of the disappearance of a Vivarrian citizen by the name of Marcus Albinus. We are sending diplomats to you to investigate the situation. You can expect them within two weeks.’”
Thea put her elbows onto the table and pressed her hands ag
