"It's not that simple," Darian said, tail curling briefly around the leg of his chair before loosening again. "You speak as if this is an opportunity. As if stepping forward is natural."
His fingers pressed together on the table's edge, gaze fixed somewhere between Trafalgar and the floor.
"The Thal'zar have never functioned like that. There were no internal struggles for succession. My father was expected to rule for decades more, perhaps another half century. Only after that would there have been discussion about who was ready to take his place. There was time. Stability."
He swallowed lightly.
"There were no rivalries between brothers. No quiet conflicts between the wives. No atmosphere of suspicion. We grew up knowing our positions without having to fight for them."
His eyes lifted now, steadier than before.
"Now there is a vacancy."
The word carried weight.
