The metaphorical slap struck him harder than any curse could. They really had done that.
So the king was left frozen as if he had swallowed a boulder.
However, it wasn't just the Elves who reacted to the small detail everyone else overlooked. Kael was genuinely surprised by this because he hadn't heard about this reasoning until today.
When Riley had first proposed the sanctions, he assumed this one was for some philanthropic reason again—that the elven brat would likely need a passable guardian who could at least still wield magic.
So this was why.
So, the twig was thinking of him, huh?
Kael's lips twitched into something close to a real smile. And suddenly, the scene before him blurred into a softer image: a little pup who was protecting a wronged dragon was triumphantly yapping at two giant, lumbering bears that didn't know what to do with themselves.
In his mind, it was almost… adorable.
The air around him lightened, golden eyes glinting with restrained amusement.
