Gabriel did not raise his voice.
That, more than anything else, was what made Rafael sit straighter.
"Rafael," he said calmly, hands folded over the tablet, posture composed in the way that meant the conversation had moved out of irritation and into authority. "You will be presented this year."
Rafael scoffed softly. "You cannot compel…"
"I can," Gabriel interrupted, still even. "And I will. Refusal would constitute willful evasion of an imperial legal rite. In simpler terms: treason."
Rafael stared at him. "You are being ridiculous."
"No," Gabriel replied. "I am being merciful."
Rafael laughed once, sharp and incredulous. "By threatening me with treason?"
"By not escalating it further," Gabriel said, unbothered. "You falsified your own status. You hid yourself from a public registry. If I were anyone else, this conversation would be happening with three witnesses and a recorder."
Rafael's mouth closed.
