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The group went back and forth about that for a while, with the Trinity Masters’ members slowly coming around to the idea.

Approval of the Trinity Archive was within reach—Franco had his hand on Colum’s knee under the table and kept shaking his best friend’s leg in his excitement—when Hande spoke up.

“But what about Colum?”

Everyone paused.

“What about him?”Eric asked.

“The archive will be here in Europe and the access will be controlled by the archivists.”She pointed at Colum and Franco.“Yes?”

“Correct.”

“Franco is a member of the Trinity Masters.He’s also married to their leader.They will have close ties.Good access.But for us?”Hande gestured to the Masters’ Admiralty end of the table.“The archivist position is neutral.The existence of the archive isn’t widely known.He reports to no admiral.”Hande stared at Colum.“And he is exempt from even the fleet admiral’s orders.Once the fleet admiral appoints an archivist, the Masters’ Admiralty has no control over them.”

“I’m a member,” Colum said slowly, even as under the table his hand moved to grip Franco’s wrist.

Franco swallowed hard, trying to figure out Hande’s endgame so he could counter it.

“There could come a day when Trinity Masters’ members walk in and out of the archive, but our own people have to seek approvals and fill out forms.”She waved a hand to indicate vague bureaucracy.

“That wouldn’t happen,” Franco assured her.

“I believe it, foryou.You have close ties to your society.She is your wife, yes?”Hande tipped her head to Juliette.

“Yes, she’s my wife.”It felt weird, but good, to say that out loud.Every member of the Trinity Masters present knew the identity of the Grand Master, but for all but a few members, the Grand Master’s identity was a secret.

“What ties does our archivist have to us?”Hande went on.“He isn’t even in a trinity marriage.”

“The archivist is exempt from the rule about getting married,” Colum rushed to add.

Franco winced, squeezing Colum’s knee and willing his best friend to shut up because he wasn’t helping their case.

“You see my concern?The archivist doesn’t follow our core and most basic rules.There is already a disconnect, and I think the merger will make it worse.”Hande glanced around the table and—fuck—the other admirals present nodded.

Eric’s expression was completely unreadable.

“What do you propose?”Sophia asked.

“If we do this, the archivist must have stronger ties to our society.”

“Be specific,” Eric bit out.

“The archivist should be a regular member, and Dublin should no longer be neutral.”

“Absolutely not.”Colum didn’t even hesitate.

“The Trinity Masters’ archivist isn’t neutral.He is a member like any other, yes?”

Franco shrugged in half-hearted agreement, not wanting to really concede anything to the woman who was currently messing up their plan.

“To have our archivist exist outside the normal rules, and the archive itself in neutral territory is not good.”

Colum leaned forward.“When it was formed, the admirals at the time didn’t want one territory to have exclusive control over the contents, which is why a neutral area was created.”

“And has that worked?”Hande demanded.“I had never even heard of the archive until nearly six months after I was made admiral.Were other admirals informed immediately?”She raised a brow.

Eric sighed.“We need to do a better job of letting everyone know the archive exists, and how to ask our archivist for information.”Eric glanced briefly at Colum.