Chapter 128: The Decision That Was Already Moving
Alaric Veyne did not yield.
Not in posture. Not in tone. Not in the steady way his gaze remained fixed across the table, as though he could press reason itself into the room and force it to obey.
He exhaled once, a controlled sound.
"I have not forgotten myself, Your Majesty," he said.
The Queen did not respond.
Neither did the King.
So he continued.
"I am stating fact. And fact alone suggests that refusing Princess Lyria entry into the competition will do more harm to the Royal Family than her inclusion ever could."
There was a faint pause.
"This matter, though," he added, "was not accounted for when the competition was first established."
A subtle shift passed through the hall.
Alaric turned then, his attention moving deliberately.
To the High Priestess.
Lady Seraphine Vael met his gaze without hesitation, her pale robes catching faint light from the chandeliers above.
