The Court Demands Respect
The grand hall was alive with anticipation. Courtiers and nobles gathered in their seats, their faces tense but expectant. Whispers ran like a current, each noble eager to see how Kaelen would respond to the recent declaration of Azure’s pregnancy—and the undeniable political weight it carried.
At the front, Azure stood tall beside Dominion. Her hand rested lightly on her abdomen, the small secret of the future heir a potent symbol of power and legitimacy. Dominion’s posture was steady, calm, but there was fire in his eyes—a quiet warning to all present. Sabrina and Erica flanked them, silent but watchful, ready to act should Kaelen attempt to disrupt the balance.
Kaelen, seated in the high dais with his wife and young son at his side, wore a mask of composed a
