Chapter 85 – A Seat at the Table
Chapter 85 – A Seat at the Table
After sending the replies, Taren closed his wristlink screen and leaned back slightly in his chair.
For the first time all evening, his thoughts felt quiet.
The decision had been made.
There was nothing left to weigh against itself, no more arguments to replay from different angles, no more imagined outcomes waiting to be judged before they had even happened.
What surprised him most was not relief.
It was hunger.
A sudden sharp hunger that seemed to arrive all at once now that the tension had finally left his body.
He looked down at the table and realized how much food was still left.
Without thinking further, he picked up his fork again and resumed eating with far more appetite than before.
The food had cooled slightly by now, but he barely noticed.
By the time he finished the last bite, movement near the staircase caught his eye.
Lucien came down first, with Dorian and Lunessa following behind him, still speaking quietly among themselves as they returned from upstairs.
When they noticed Taren still seated at the table, all three slowed slightly.
Taren lifted a hand toward them.
“Come sit.”
They exchanged brief glances before walking over.
Lucien sat across from him again while Dorian and Lunessa took the remaining seats.
All three looked mildly surprised to find the table almost empty.
Lucien glanced at the cleared plates and smiled faintly.
“You must’ve been hungrier than expected.”
Taren wiped his hands with a cloth napkin and set it aside.
“Apparently more than expected.”
Lunessa gave a quiet laugh.
“We were starting to think you might’ve left.”
“I thought about it,” Taren replied.
That earned a small smile from Dorian.
For a brief moment the conversation settled naturally, but Taren did not intend to let it drift.
He took a sip of water, placed the glass down carefully, and looked at all three.
“I’ve made my decision.”
The atmosphere changed immediately.
All three turned their full attention toward him.
Lucien said nothing.
Dorian leaned forward slightly.
Lunessa waited quietly.
Taren looked between them once before speaking plainly.
“If your offer still stands… I’m ready to join Crownspire.”
For a second, nobody replied.
Then Lunessa smiled first.
“That’s genuinely good news.”
Dorian exhaled like he had been holding that breath longer than expected.
“Very good news.”
Lucien’s expression softened.
“Of course, it still stands,” he said. “And we’d be glad to have you with us.”
Taren nodded once.
Lucien extended his hand across the table.
“Then officially… welcome to Crownspire.”
Taren looked at the offered hand, then shook it firmly.
Dorian offered congratulations next, followed by Lunessa, both welcoming him more openly now that the decision was real.
Lucien glanced toward the counter.
Lira was already nearby and seemed to notice immediately.
He raised a hand slightly.
“Can we get more food?”
She looked at the table full of empty dishes, then at Taren.
“Again?”
Lucien nodded. “This time for everyone.”
Lira laughed. “Understood.”
A few minutes later fresh food arrived across the table along with warm drinks and a dessert tray that no one had asked for.
By then the mood had shifted completely.
What had begun as a formal discussion now felt far lighter, almost relaxed.
Taren picked up his fork again, then looked around the table.
“So,” he asked, “what do you need me to handle first?”
The answer came immediately.
“Author contracts,” Dorian said.
“Recruitment,” Lunessa added at once.
Lucien followed without pause.
“Editorial structure.”
“Submission systems.”
“Rights review.”
“Scheduling.”
“Department workflow.”
“Correspondence.”
“Acquisitions planning.”
“Internal operations.”
“Print coordination with the press.”
“Staffing.”
“Archive logistics eventually.”
Taren slowly lowered his fork.
The three of them continued speaking over one another as though a dam had broken.
“…and we need a proper review pipeline.”
“…plus role definitions for future hires…”
“…and probably a cleaner internal approval structure…”
“Enough.”
The table went quiet.
Taren pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled.
“One at a time.”
Lunessa looked down immediately to hide a smile.
Dorian coughed into his fist.
Lucien was trying not to laugh.
Taren narrowed his eyes slightly and looked between the three of them.
Then something clicked.
Earlier during the interview, they had mentioned there were currently only three people managing most of Crownspire’s operations.
At the time, Taren had assumed that meant three staff members beneath them like temporary managers, department assistants, etc. The people already handling the daily workload while the company expanded.
Now that he looked again, it was obvious.
Lucien. Dorian. Lunessa.
That was it.
No hidden team. No staff upstairs drowning in paperwork. No department heads. No internal managers.
Just the three of them.
And now… him.
Taren leaned back slowly in his chair.
“When you said three people were currently running operations…”
Lucien already knew where this was going. “Yes.”
Taren stared at him.
“You meant literally the three of you.”
Dorian nodded. “We did.”
Taren turned toward Lunessa.
She nodded too.
He sat in silence for two full seconds.
Then sighed deeply.
“I may have joined a beautifully disguised disaster.”
Lunessa laughed first.
Dorian nearly choked on his drink.
Even Lucien laughed openly.
Taren shook his head.
“I genuinely thought there was a team.”
“There will be,” Lucien said.
“Eventually,” Dorian corrected.
“Hopefully very soon,” Lunessa added.
Taren gave them a look that suggested he was already reconsidering every decision that led him here.
Lucien leaned forward slightly.
“Don’t worry. We’re not handing everything to you.”
“Not all at once,” Dorian added.
Lucien ignored him. “The immediate priority is hiring.”
That brought Taren back to focus.
“We need reliable people quickly,” Lucien continued. “People skilled enough to stabilize operations while we build the rest properly.”
Taren nodded slowly as that part made sense.
“If we secure the right core staff early,” Lucien said, “everything after becomes easier.”
Taren thought for a moment before setting down his fork.
“I may know two people.”
All three looked at him immediately.
“From Greyford?” Dorian asked.
Taren nodded.
“Both are recent hires. They are very capable, and highly efficient. They learn quickly and work well under pressure.”
“Would they leave?” Lunessa asked.
“I can’t promise,” Taren admitted. “But I think there’s a strong chance.”
Lucien leaned back slightly. “Why?”
A faint smile touched Taren’s expression.
“Because they’re talented enough to already know exactly what kind of place they’re working in.”
Lucien understood immediately. “And they’re unhappy there.”
Taren nodded. “They won’t say it openly. But yes.”
“Then ask them,” Lucien said. “No pressure. Just ask them and be honest about our situation clearly.”
“I will.”
Lunessa was the first to speak after Taren mentioned the two possible hires.
“Can we ask them now?”
Taren looked at her. “Now?”
She nodded as though it were the most natural suggestion in the world. “If they’re free now.”
Dorian paused mid-drink.
Lucien glanced toward her as well.
Lunessa looked between the three of them and seemed mildly confused by their reactions.
“What?”
“No, nothing,” Dorian said. “Just… now?”
“Yes.”
She folded her arms lightly against the edge of the table.
“If they’re capable and already unhappy where they are, wouldn’t it be better to ask while we’re all here?”
Taren still looked uncertain. “We don’t even know if they’d agree.”
“We don’t,” Lunessa said. “Which is exactly why we ask first.”
Then after a short pause she added dryly, “Unless everyone here enjoys continuing to do five jobs each for another few weeks.”
That earned a brief silence.
Lucien leaned back. “…Fair.”
Dorian nodded. “Very fair.”
Taren gave a quiet sigh.
Lucien looked amused. “She has a point.”
“She always does,” Dorian added.
Lunessa gave neither of them a response and instead looked directly at Taren. “Well?”
Taren gave a small resigned nod and activated his wristlink.
A message thread opened between the three of them.
The same one they had kept since the lunch they shared last time.
He typed briefly.
Are both of you free right now?
The reply came quicker than expected.
Almost. We are just leaving the office. Why?
Then immediately another.
Actually, we are still inside the building. Varis dropped more work on us before leaving. We’re just finishing it now.
Taren read the messages and sighed faintly.
Lucien noticed. “Bad timing?”
“Not exactly.”
Taren angled the screen slightly toward them.
Dorian read it first and gave a quiet exhale through his nose. “Still there at this hour?”
Lunessa shook her head and Lucien didn’t look surprised.
Taren typed again.
Are you free tonight? I’d like to talk to you both about something important in person. If tonight doesn’t work for you, we can always speak another time. I’ll be at Ashborne Café.
There was a slight pause before the replies arrived one after the other.
We’re free.
Was planning to eat anyway. Haven’t tried Café Ashborne yet. We’ll come. Give us a little time.
Taren lowered his wrist slightly. “They’re coming.”
Lunessa nodded once. “See?”
Taren gave her a look.
She lifted one shoulder. “Sometimes asking first is faster than everyone overthinking for twenty minutes.”
Lucien and Dorian both gave quiet laughs. Taren could not argue with that.
The conversation drifted after that while they waited.
Fresh drinks arrived. Lira passed by occasionally, clearing dishes and bringing more food without anyone asking.
Nearly half an hour later, two figures entered through the café doors together.
Even at this hour, the place remained lively. The rush had eased compared to earlier, but customers still filled most of the tables, with staff moving steadily between them carrying trays and drinks.
Lira greeted them near the entrance. After a brief exchange, she gestured toward Taren’s table across the room. Both Talia and Rowan turned in that direction.
The moment they spotted him, they slowed.
At first, both simply looked relieved to find him easily. Then they noticed he wasn’t alone.
Taren sat with three others around the table, with empty plates, drinks, and scattered notes between them like a discussion had already been going on for some time.
Both immediately exchanged a glance. This was not what either of them had expected.
When Taren’s message had asked if they were free for an important conversation, they assumed it would be the three of them meeting over dinner, perhaps to talk about something related to Greyford.
Neither expected to walk into what looked very much like an ongoing meeting with people they had never seen before.
Lira led them over.
By the time they reached the table, both looked visibly unsure whether they were interrupting something.
The young woman reached the table first, followed by the young man beside her.
Both were still dressed in office attire and looked visibly tired from a long day of work.
The young woman glanced between the unfamiliar faces before looking at Taren.
“Taren…”
The young man spoke next, lowering his voice slightly. “…Did we just walk into a meeting?”
Taren stood. “In a way.”
That answer only made both of them more confused.
Lucien rose as well, followed by Dorian and Lunessa.
Taren gestured toward them.
“This is Lucien Ashborne. Dorian. Lunessa.”
The moment he said the first name, Talia blinked. “Ashborne?”
Her eyes moved briefly around the café before returning to Lucien.
“Ashborne as in… Café Ashborne?”
Lucien gave a small nod. “The same one.”
Talia looked around once more as if reprocessing the obvious answer that had somehow escaped her until now.
Then she let out a short laugh at herself. “Right. Of course. That should’ve been obvious.”
Rowan quietly nodded beside her. “I also did not make that connection until just now.”
That earned a small laugh from around the table and eased the awkwardness immediately.
Taren then turned back toward Lucien and the others.
“And these two are Talia and Rowan.”
Talia greeted them first with polite composure, though curiosity remained clear on her face. Even tired from the office, she still looked sharp and observant, her eyes taking in everything around the table at once.
Rowan greeted them next with slightly awkward politeness, still clearly trying to understand what exactly was happening.
Lucien motioned toward the empty chairs. “Please sit.”
They did. Though both still looked unsure why they had been called here.
Lira appeared almost instantly beside them. “Would either of you like something?”
Rowan blinked. “Oh… uh…”
Talia glanced at the menu. “Yes. Very much. I’m starving right now.”
That earned another quiet laugh from the table.
Orders were placed and once Lira stepped away, both Talia and Rowan looked directly at Taren.
Rowan spoke first. “Alright.”
Talia nodded beside him. “What’s going on?”
Taren exchanged a brief glance with Lucien before looking back at them.
“There’s something I wanted to ask both of you.”
And judging from the confusion on both their faces…
Neither of them had expected their night to end like this.