Casilo shook his head without looking up. "And hand her the excuse she needs to brand you a traitor? The king's illness and death was so sudden, we don't have the numbers yet to openly go against her. We need to first seek help from our allies."
Ragnar pushed the door open. Both men fell silent and turned in his direction.
Gonan straightened first, his expression shifting from irritation to something more friendly. Casilo followed a moment after, though the tension did not fully leave his face.
"You're here," Gonan said.
Ragnar stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "I was not aware you had already begun without me."
"We were waiting for you, of course," Casilo said, though it was clear they had not been. "But there are matters that cannot be ignored."
Ragnar moved further into the room, his gaze passing briefly over the table between them. Paper documents and ledgers were strewn over the surface, alongside a few sealed letters that had already been opened.
