The palace had changed.
Not in structure.
Not in power.
But in feeling.
It lingered in the air
in the way people spoke softer when they passed certain halls,
in the way guards stood just a little straighter,
in the way servants exchanged glances they thought no one noticed.
Because something fragile had been introduced
something no one knew how to hold.
And like all fragile things
it made people uneasy.
By midday
the council could no longer pretend it didn’t matter.
They gathered again.
Not for war.
Not for territory.
But for something far more uncomfortable
uncertainty.
Kael entered last.
As always.
The room rose.
Respect was not optional.
Lyra walked beside him.
Not a step behind.
Never again.
She felt it immediately
the shift.
Eyes on her.
Then on him.
Then
