For a moment, there was silence. Elijah stared at Dominic intensely, his face so blank and unreadable that Dominic began to question why he had come here in the first place.
The heavy stillness gnawed at him until, just as he was about to speak, Elijah suddenly burst into laughter. It was a long, hysterical sound that needed no explanation, the kind of laughter that told Dominic without words exactly what he was: a fool.
And just like that, it destroyed whatever courage he thought he had brought with him.
"I mean, come on," Elijah said, lounging back and clearly enjoying this, "you've been planning this for a while. That means you didn't need my permission at all."
Dominic's frown deepened. Elijah's words were ambiguous, leaving Dominic unsure if the king was mocking him or secretly on his side.
"Your Majesty, I would never dare!" Dominic dropped his head even lower, his voice shaky. "Asher is your heir. I would never make such a move without your explicit order."
