Sirius did what he always did at events like this.
He became the Emperor.
It wasn't a performance so much as a switch - one that slid into place the moment he entered a crowded room and accepted, without emotion, that everyone would be watching him for signs of weakness, softness, hesitation. He gave them none. He moved through the party with measured ease, spoke to everyone who mattered, smiled at the right moments, listened just long enough to make people feel seen, and walked away before they could mistake access for intimacy.
The ballroom glittered around him, music and chandeliers and carefully arranged joy. Dean and Arion were the center of it, whether the nobles liked it or not.
