"My oath remains unchanged," Sienna-Rose declared, her voice steady as her gaze swept across the gathered lords and knights. "I will not help, nor will I grant my son any advantage in this demonstration."
Her tone sharpened as her eyes fixed upon Tristan. "And to silence any whispers that my barrier weakens with time…" she let the weight of her stare linger. "…we shall test it fairly, here and now."
She turned, her expression softening for a brief moment as she looked at Ivan. "You go first, Ivan. Do as I taught you."
Ivan rose slowly from the chair, exhaustion evident in his stiff movements, yet determination burned in his eyes. He adjusted his grip on the dragonbone sword, then drew in a deep breath.
His small frame seemed to gather weight as his aura condensed. He lowered into the same stance he had taken against Etienne, but this time there's no hesitation. His focus sharpened, his energy swelled, and when he exhaled, the very air around him trembled.
