"Mother. Father," I said when I walked into the formal sitting room. Mom was reading a book while Dad was flipping through channels on the TV.
"Gregory." Mom greeted me with a warm smile. She closed her book, stood, and embraced me in a hug. "Where's your lovely bride-to-be?"
The fake concern dripping from her tone grated on my nerves, but I bit back all the nasty things I wanted to say. "She's not feeling well. The events of the past few days have taken quite the emotional toll on her. She sends her regrets about dinner tonight."
"Oh, that's all right. We'll have plenty of time to get to know her." Mom returned to her chair and re-opened her book, effectively ending our conversation.
"Were you able to make any progress with the Pendragons?" Father glanced up at me, brow raised. "Do they understand why the council made the decision they did?"
"Not yet." I cleared my throat. "But I'm working on it. I know once I convince Sophie, she'll convince her sisters."