But Lord Eldric had barely stopped speaking when silence settled heavily over the halls.
It wasn't the kind of silence born from respect—it was thick, deliberate, and tense, as though every person present was weighing their next breath. The Lords remained seated around the long table, their expressions guarded and calculating, while their assistants—more like personal bodyguards—stood stationed behind them.
Each Lord was permitted at most two.
That alone made Eldric's position clear.
He had chosen to stand with two figures behind him, both imposing and alert, while nearly everyone else had settled for one. It was a subtle show of power, one that didn't go unnoticed by anyone in the room.
Still, none of the Lords spoke.
