The Night of Choice
The silence after William's proposal didn't feel empty.
It felt crowded.
Dozens of thoughts collided in dozens of minds. Ambition, fear, greed, survival — all of it twisted together until none of them could tell where loyalty ended and instinct began.
The long oak table reflected their faces in warped gold. Every flicker of torchlight seemed to reshuffle their expressions. One heartbeat they were kings in their own minds. The next, they were men cornered by history.
No one spoke.
Not yet.
Then Renn's fingers tightened around his goblet.
His knuckles went white.
He hesitated.
"…What happens," he asked slowly, voice tight, "after we win?"
The word win tasted strange on his tongue.
"What happens when Moonstone and Vellore are dealt with?" he continued. "When Skyfall grows… when borders stretch… what becomes of us?"
A few heads turned toward him — grateful he'd asked.
William leaned back in his chair.
The word win tasted strange on his tongue.
