The next day did nothing to soften Gabriel's opinion of the nobility. By the time he stepped out of the hearing chamber, his patience was worn thin enough to tear, his jaw aching from the effort it had taken not to snap in a way that would have turned a legal dispute into a diplomatic incident.
It had been the sort of session that reminded him why his leave after Arik's birth had been a mercy. Three hours of a minor count arguing over land rights that the court records made plain weren't his to begin with, all dressed up in legal jargon and feigned outrage. If murder had been legal and consequence-free, Gabriel was fairly certain he would have left the hearing lighter by one noble.
The corridors back to his office felt longer than usual, the chill of the marble underfoot bleeding through even the thick carpet runners. He pushed the door open, expecting the quiet order he'd left behind.
Instead, he stepped into chaos.
