NATHAN’S POV
I didn’t come to watch.I didn’t come to celebrate. I came to break something. The palace was louder than I expected—filled with voices, movement, anticipation that hung thick in the air like everyone was holding their breath for the same moment. Guards lined the walls, more than usual, their presence doubled, sharpened. Damon had prepared. Of course he had. A king didn’t rise without expecting resistance.
Good.
Let him expect it, it wouldn’t change what I was here to do. I moved through the crowd without announcing myself, without needing to. Eyes followed anyway. Some recognized me immediately. Others didn’t—but they felt it. The shift. The disruption. Conversations faltered as I passed. Shoulders stiffened. Attention turned. I didn’t acknowledge any of it. My focus was si
