Very long chapter~Enjoy :)
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The council chamber of Gorris was carved from pale stone and old magic, its vaulted ceiling etched with sigils that predated Serf's reign. Cold light filtered through high windows, casting long shadows across the obsidian floor.
Jasper stood alone at the center.
He did not bow.
Serf sat upon the elevated throne, one leg crossed over the other, fingers drumming lazily against the armrest. His eyes—sharp, merciless—never left Jasper. Dixie sat beside him, posture rigid, hands folded in her lap far too tightly.
The silence dragged.
Then Serf laughed.
It was not amused. It was cruel.
"So," Serf said at last, rising slowly from his throne, "it's true."
Jasper's jaw tightened. "If you called me here to speak in riddles, you're wasting both our time."
Serf descended the steps with deliberate slowness. "Children," he said plainly. "You've fathered children with her."
Dixie's breath hitched.
Jasper didn't flinch. "My wife," he corrected calmly.
