Bahste remained at his desk, alone in the quiet chamber. His pleasant expression slowly shifted into something else—a smile that held no warmth, only satisfaction and anticipation.
Jolthar Kaezhlar was indeed interesting. Powerful, principled, dangerous. The kind of variable that could disrupt carefully laid plans.
And the dealings with the dark deity were just like another matter to settle on his desk.
Bahste had been playing these games for decades. He had outlasted emperors, crushed rebellions, and maintained order through combinations of brilliance and ruthlessness that most people couldn't imagine.
One young baron, no matter how strong, was just another problem to be solved.
And Bahste Fatler was very, very good at solving problems.
*
The Sunlit Courtyard - Noble District
In a beautiful private courtyard attached to one of the palace's residential wings, a very different gathering was taking place.
