The throne room did not breathe again until Kaelvryn lifted one hand.
"Leave," he said.
The word carried no volume, yet it moved through the chamber with unmistakable authority.
No one dared question it.
Lord Valor bowed so quickly that his forehead nearly struck the marble. Lord Damien, still pale and shaken, stumbled to his feet with assistance from two attendants who did not meet the king's eyes.
The lesser councilman who had confessed crawled backward before scrambling upright, eager to escape the suffocating weight of the room.
Lord Aldridge remained where he stood and Lucas did not move either, Kael's gaze shifted toward him.
"You as well."
The words were deliberate, Lucas hesitated for a while.
"My king," he began carefully.
"Go."
Lucas held his gaze for one long moment, searching for something but what he found was a storm coiled tightly beneath the surface.
He bowed.
"As you command."
