Hearing King James's question about the second advantage, a sneaky, knowing smile spread across Gautam's sharp face. He leaned forward a little. His voice dropped to a more private, almost secret-sharing tone, making sure his words were mostly for the King and his closest advisors.
"My Lord," Gautam began, moving on from talking about Imperial trials and twisted stories to a more active, aggressive plan, "the second advantage, and the more powerful one for our long-term goals, is found in Estoria's internal weaknesses. As soon as King Noor IV leaves his kingdom, which he must, and heads for the Empire of the Mountains to go to this… council, we will have a golden, unmatched opportunity." He paused, letting them think about what he meant.
