PeaceMaker

Desilva resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Dominic while Anateniz watched closely. 

"So not his concubine then? The next head of a tribe is someone close to worthy of marrying his royal highness but probably not as the first bride as that needs to be someone who can provide political power," Anateniz muttered in thought. She looked up at Desilva, her eyes glowing curiously as she came up with a proposal. "Maybe a second bride then? Will you be fine with that?"

Desilva shuddered, her face immediately flushing as Dominic let out a long sigh. "Not first, second or third, she's not going to be a concubine of mine. She's an escort from her tribe whom is the bridge between her tribe and this kingdom."

Boris flinched, turning over to look at Dominic as he heard the word 'escort.' His face stood stoically as his golden eyes flicked, confusion flashing through them. His eyes rest on Dominic's frustrated face and Desilva's light blush for a moment before facing forward, ignoring the flash of icy blue that pressed at him from the corner of his eyes, observing him. 

"An escort doesn't sound that bad either," Anatinez shrugged playfully, her words erupting a series of light chuckles around the table.

"Anateniz!" Dominic announced, his voice spiking over the laughter, silencing them immediately. "I have brought no one as an escort of that kind or a concubine and I will not tolerate any of that talk with Desilva. This meeting is to reflect on the changes in the kingdom since I have departed for war not to fish out any future marriage plans."

The room stood in silence as Dominic's words lingered in the air.

"Yes, your highness," Anatinez nodded, bowing her head in apology before turning back to Dominic again, watching him quietly. 

It was true that this was a meeting for recapping the previous events that took place in the prince's time of absence, however it was also one year after his failed engagement with Princess Claudia from the Akito Clan and the prince was now one year older and a little bit off the prime time of marriage. He was 20. His father got married at a younger age and went to war, a legend that would forever be put as a level of measurance for Dominic and he had already failed two of those milestones. 

Anateniz pursed her slim lips and sat up further in her chair, refusing to let her heavy shoulders and aching back affect the way she sat. 'Was I too pushy?' she thought to herself, the question sitting calmly in her quiet mind. 'No. It had to be done, and he needs to listen soon.'

She was well aware of how quickly those expectations of Dominic would start to rise and how quickly it would begin to stifle him. The weight of the expectations of everyone around him would start to weigh on him if she didn't push him towards jumping over those hurdles. If he didn't get married soon, the royal court of the kingdom would begin to pester him and soon after when news spread to his royal family in the rest of Aucacia Empire, he would be forced into a marriage of convenience at 22.

Time was ticking. She turned her focus back to Dominic, her old eyes still showing him ever so clearly before her. 'Time he isn't aware is passing.' 

Dominic looked around the table for a moment before continuing. 

"Ok, now that they have all been introduced.." he grinned, looking back at the three, before his body turned, eyes laying on the figure that stood behind Boris, "shall I learn about our fourth new addition to the room?"

Adia raised her head, stepping out from behind Boris and standing beside him, bowed to greet Dominic. Her eyes immediately looked up at him, locking eyes with his piercing emerald gaze. A shiver ran down her spine as she held back the urge to grin. "Good Morning your royal highness, my name is Adia Sole, official informant of Boris."

Dominic observed her, his gaze taking in her physical features. 'Tall,' he pondered as his eyes ran her up and down, resting on her face, 'striking beautiful features, a strong and confident hairstyle with a matching deep-brown gaze in bright doe eyes.' His eyes dropped to her lips, 'and thick lips,' he thought, glancing at Boris for a quick second, 'just like his..'

A smile crawled onto his face. "Adia Sole," he repeated, his smile growing as his head tilted to the side, "did you know that your eyes automatically look up to mine?"

Adia flinched, a shiver running through her as she noticed the curiosity beaming in his emerald gaze. Her heart skipped a beat as she was drawn in by his smile and captivating beauty. 'How intense…' she thought to herself, her smile slipping onto her face. "Do I?"

Dominic stayed silence as he watched her shoulders tense up slightly from his reaction, yet she didn't look away. 'She answered with a question and smiled,' Dominic thought to himself as he chuckled, 'she reminds me of a brighter him.' "Yes," He replied with a grin, "and I like that about you, Adia." 

Adia flinched once again at that, her heart skipping another beat as she watched Dominic flash a bright smile at her. She almost covered her eyes to shield herself from the light. "Really?" she muttered, bowing her head with a smile and looking back at Dominic, "thank you, your highness."

Dominic chortled, "You're welcome." His gaze shifted up, his body turning to face Boris who stood behind his chair to the right. "Boris," he called out.

"Yes, your highness?" Boris replied, his gaze fixing on Dominic immediately. 

The moment Boris spoke in reply, Dominic's eyes lit up at his voice. A little satisfied smile spread onto his lips, "Did you want her to be added to the council?"

Boris nodded his head in reply, "Yes, but that is up to his highness to approve. I believe she can be a useful person to the kingdom as she is also someone from the kingdom's streets," Boris responded. 

Boris' shoulders eased at the flicker of excitement that went through Dominic's eyes at those words. "Really?!" Dominic announced excitedly, glancing at Adia for a moment before turning back to Boris, "she is??!"

Boris nodded his head, passing Dominic a look when their eyes locked. "Yes, your highness," he replied. 'A little too excited,' he warned, to which Dominic brushed off with another smile.

'I know,' he responded.

"But you want her to be added to the council," Dominic murmured as he went into thought for a moment, his eyebrow raising, "before you?"

"Yes," Boris nodded. 

"No," Dominic snapped back, turning to face the council members who sat quietly watching their exchange. 

Dominic's gaze shifted to Litian and the rest beside her before turning back to the council. "I have some announcements to make," he bellowed, his voice loud and clear, "I'll be promoting these three in order for them to enter the council. Tests to further prove my promotion can be taken later if needed."

Boris peered down at Dominic's head of golden waves, a piercing gaze that Dominic could feel. One that amused him as he continued his announcement. "While in war, I promoted Litian to senior assistant guard, Axel to junior assistant guard and personal medic, and Desilva to escort and official mediator of the Qulan Tribe and Averia kingdom."

He paused for a moment, taking in the council member's expressions before continuing. "Now as I promote them into the council, I'll be placing Litian as another war advisor with Fall Hane, Axel as another safety advisor with Limar Fort, and Desilva as a special member of Mediator, at rank 7," he continued. 

"Rank 5 for Head Commander Litian, 6 for Physician Xicheng and 7 for Lady Desilva Milti," Kalmin repeated, jotting down Dominic's words with his pen. He peered at Dominic with apprehensive eyes, "Is that all, your highness?"

"And I'd like to promote Litian's rank in the military to General," Dominic nodded. 

This was when gasps erupted in the room. "Lieutenant General?" the council members murmured. 

"Isn't the Lieutenant General too high of a rank for a woman to hold your highness??" Hendrikson called out, his face twisted in frustration, "there are only a handful of Lieutenant Generals in the whole kingdom, each of them coming from the most prominent families in the kingdom! You can't be serious about granting such a title to such a young lady."

Some council members on the left side of the table nodded their heads, only one on the right nodding his head in agreement. 

"Really?" Dominic questioned, "is she not from a prominent family in the military?"

"Well yes but-"

"Did she not train harder than most of the men in the army, including your son? Did she not go to war with me?" Dominic pressed to which Hendrickson stammered, hesitating to answer the question. "She did. She's more than worthy of the title that she has now and worthy of something higher. Afterall, unlike you who stayed behind in the palace, this 'young lady' picked up her sword and took lives for the kingdom's name. She fought for her title, have you?"