"I believe," the King spat, his voice trembling with a cold, jagged edge, "that we have absolutely nothing to discuss."
Osita didn't flinch. "Previously, perhaps. But now? We both know that has changed." He spoke with a quiet finality that left no room for protest.
In truth, Osita was calculating. After their last encounter, his first instinct had been to simply take the Queen and vanish. The secret was out; he could have reclaimed his Amina, brought her home, and found a way to mend her fractured soul in private.
But he knew such an act would be the spark that ignited a catastrophic war, one he wasn't entirely sure he could now finish. While his own strength could likely level the kingdom, Nwadiebube had the backing of Murmur, and Osita had children to protect, lives that couldn't be bartered in a blood feud.
