Though Edric phrased it politely, every courtier, official, and attendant in the hall understood exactly what was happening. This was a direct challenge—a test of Arthur's entire governing philosophy. A test of whether the King of Keldoria truly understood the very system he was constructing—or if his so-called reforms were nothing but reckless experiments wrapped in clever words.
Arthur, however, did not respond immediately.
Instead, a faint, almost amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he slowly leaned back against the throne's high backrest. His mind wandered—briefly—across space and time, far from the grand stone pillars of the royal hall, back to another world entirely.
…
