"Matriarch Indriyani, why am I here? What do you actually want?"
Indriyani smiled, and it carried a calculation that made even Madayanti's political maneuvering seem straightforward by comparison.
"I want to make you an offer," she said simply.
"The Daitvitas clan is strong, ancient, and strategically positioned in ways that make us nearly impossible to attack. But we're small in numbers, deliberately so, and that smallness is becoming a liability as the Empire expands."
She moved closer again, and this time Jorghan held his ground, refusing to retreat further.
"The Sol'vur bloodline is powerful, but you are only one. Your clan people are dead. You're rebuilding from nearly nothing, which gives you flexibility but also vulnerability."
Her pale eyes held his crimson ones without flinching.
