"Sacrilege!!!"
A noble's voice rang loud across the court.
"Abomination in the highest order!" a lady chimed in, scandalized.
"And right in this sacred court! This cannot be tolerated!" Gerald thundered, his voice rising above the rest—just as he intended. The court was riled up in a storm of outrage, their bickering echoing off the marble walls.
Amidst the noise and frenzy, a cold stare sliced through the room. It was Lady Mira—the widow and strict overseer of the East Wing Castle. Her face was twisted in unfiltered disgust as her eyes bore holes into Kayden. The hatred she felt wasn't a mask; it was raw and alive.
The chaos continued—shouting nobles, stomping feet, fingers pointing—until the sharp sound of glass shattering silenced everything. All heads turned.
Stephen had thrown his goblet to the floor from his position on the throne, the crystal fragments glittering like ice around his feet. Silence fell.
He stood. Cold. Commanding. Unmoved by their tantrums.
