The great doors of the throne room swung open with a heavy groan.
Lord Fray was marched between two Duskfall royal guards, wrists bound in black iron. His hair was still tangled from the previous night, but his smile—sharp and mocking—was deliberate.
The murmurs in the room rose immediately.
“Look at him… in chains.”
“A noble house brought to this…”
Fray’s gaze swept across the hall, slow and deliberate. He stopped on Liam and let out a low chuckle. “The Hybrid pretender sits on the throne. What a time for Duskfall.”
“Bring him forward,” Liam commanded, his voice deep but controlled.
The guards shoved Fray until he stood before the throne.
“You’ll regret this,” Fray said in a low growl, eyes locked on Liam. “Parading me here like some criminal will not change the truth.”
“You are
