Rider’s POV
The council chamber felt smaller than usual, heavy with the kind of silence that pressed against my skull, and I sat at the head of the table with my hands folded together, listening to men who believed they still had the right to question every breath I took.
Declan sat to my right, elbow propped on the armrest, chin resting on his knuckles, eyes half lidded like he was only present in body and not in spirit.
“You are aware why we are here,” one of the elders said, his voice slow and measured.
“I am,” I replied evenly.
“And yet you delayed this meeting,” another added, tapping his fingers against the polished wood.
“I am King,” I said, meeting his gaze, “my schedule is not a request.”
A murmur went around the table, irritation mixing with reluctant respect.
The same el
