Twelve noble seals covered the final page.
Albert read every name before lifting his gaze.
The families stood in a half circle before his council table, dressed for judgment rather than negotiation. Lord Arlen wore a bandage around the wrist Evelyn’s officer had restrained.
“The legions must leave the palace,” Arlen said. “Today.”
Albert set the petition down.
Beyond the windows, veterans crossed the lower courtyard in disciplined pairs. Palace guards watched from every arch. Farther out, Lucian Ravencrest walked the garden path between two escorts, close enough to remind everyone that Greyhaven already housed one defeated Alpha looking for weakness.
“On what grounds?” Albert asked.
A councilor stepped forward. “They refuse our hierarchy.”
“They obey military rank.”
“They obey her
