"Probably. She spoke of many people. I don't specifically remember." Elara kept walking, pace steady. "But it doesn't matter. What matters is that everyone in that room now believes I'm pursuing this marriage out of genuine respect rather than political calculation."
"So you lied."
"I provided the narrative they needed to hear." Elara turned a corner. "The truth—that I want military resources and political protection—would have caused immediate opposition. But respect? Admiration? Honoring my mother's memory? That's acceptable. Noble, even."
The fox knight was quiet for a moment. "You're very good at this."
"At what?"
"Telling people what they want to hear while pursuing your actual objectives."
"That's just basic communication efficiency." Elara stopped at a window overlooking the palace gardens. "People process information through emotional filters. If you want them to accept a proposal, you frame it in terms that satisfy those filters. Simple."
