Lucien's POV
"I've told you time without number not to act reckless," Mother hissed, her voice cutting through the hall like the blade of a dagger.
The echo of her heels was sharp, furious, a queen's wrath wrapped in silk. "Have you completely lost your senses, Lucien?"
I said nothing.
The council doors closed behind us with a deep thud, swallowing the whispers of the elders. The air between us was heavy, the scent of old wood and incense pressing down like judgment itself.
"You stood before the court, before him, and dared to challenge the king like a common fool!" she continued. "Do you intend to draw suspicion upon yourself? Do you think this is a game?"
Her tone was icy, precise, the kind of anger that didn't need to shout to wound. I clenched my jaw, biting back the bitterness that threatened to spill.
"Mother..." I began.
"Silence."
