_Alaric's POV_
Reid told me at night.
He came into the study with a report and set it on the desk and I knew from the way he set it down, that particular careful placement of a document that contains something he's uncertain how I'll receive, that it wasn't operational news.
I read it.
The banquet had gone ahead. Ten candidates. Distinguished families. The evening was already underway.
I put the report down.
I picked up the cup on my desk and then I put it down again and then something gave way and I didn't put it down the second time, I threw it, and it hit the far wall and came apart, and the sound of it was satisfying for approximately one second before the silence that followed it was worse than what had been there before.
Reid stood where he was and said nothing
