{Third Person}
"You show little regard for your own standing," he said. "Or for how such matters reflect on the crown."
Alexander did not respond. He stood there composed and unmoved by the rising criticism. If anything, his silence only aggravated them further.
For a mont, it seed the tension might tip into sothing more. Then King Sebastian spoke again.
"I will summon the mages."
The words cut through the room imdiately. The murmurs stopped completely as a different kind of silence took hold now. Surprise.
Even Zarek’s expression shifted, the faint ease he carried earlier slipping just slightly. Rowan, beside him, also looked toward the throne, his brows drawing together in quiet consideration.
Among the officials, quick, uncertain glances were exchanged. One of the ministers stepped forward again, this ti more cautious.
"Your Majesty... the mages?" His tone carried hesitation.
"We... do not typically invite them into the palace," another added carefully. "To have them examine the Alpha Prince, this may send the wrong ssage."
There was an undercurrent of discomfort and distrust to their words.
Alexander remained silent as his gaze watched every single one of them.
It did not escape him how quickly the tone had shifted. The sa n who had just been calling for consequences were now speaking in careful terms, their concern suddenly directed toward what his condition represented.
King Sebastian did not entertain it for long. "My decision is not up for debate," he said. His voice was calm, but it carried finality.
"The Alpha Prince’s condition concerns the stability of this Kingdom. If there is a chance to understand it, then it will be taken."
Then his gaze swept across the court as he continued, "He is the heir. His health is not a matter to be ignored."
The words settled heavily. Though no one spoke again, the reactions remained.
Zarek’s hand tightened slightly at his side, his fingers curling into a fist before he relaxed them again.
He was not pleased at all.
King Sebastian continued, his tone returning to sothing more asured. "The mages will be summoned. By the ti they arrive, winter will have set in."
There were no objections this ti, only quiet acceptance. The matter, for now, had been decided.
After a few final discussions, the King brought the session to a close. "You are dismissed."
The court bowed as one before beginning to disperse.
Conversations resud in low voices as officials moved out in groups, so still exchanging thoughts, others already calculating what this ant moving forward.
Zarek did not linger. He turned and left with controlled composure, though the tension in his expression had not fully faded.
Rowan followed more quietly, his thoughts less visible but no less active.
As the hall gradually emptied, King Sebastian’s voice ca again. "Alexander."
He turned his gaze to his father almost imdiately.
"Stay."
The command was simple but carried weight.
And as the last of the court officials exited, the doors closed behind them, leaving father and son alone in the vast hall.
King Sebastian’s gaze fixed on Alexander with sothing far more personal. And it was he who broke the silence.
"Have you made full recovery?" His voice was calr now, stripped of the authority he had used monts ago in court.
Alexander did not hesitate. "Yes."
Sebastian studied him for a second longer, as if trying to decide whether that answer was enough, before speaking again.
"Then tell ," he said, his tone shifting slightly, "why have you refused to attend court sessions?"
There was no accusation in the words, but there was expectation.
Alexander let out a quiet breath, his gaze drifting briefly away before returning. "I am taking a break," he said.
Sebastian’s expression hardened slightly. "A break?"
Alexander’s lips curved faintly, though there was no humour in it. "After all, it is not easy being a monster in the midst of normal people," he added, his voice edged with quiet sarcasm.
For the briefest mont, sothing similar to hurt flickered across the King’s face. It was so quick that it might have been missed if one was not looking directly at him, but it was there.
Still, Sebastian did not address it. Instead, he exhaled slowly and straightened, allowing the weight of the crown to settle back into place.
"You have to return to court soon," he said. This ti, it was not a request.
Alexander did not respond. The silence that followed was answer enough.
Sebastian didn’t press further. He gave a signal, and a guard stepped forward, bowing slightly as he presented three sealed envelopes.
"These were delivered yesterday evening, Your Majesty," the guard said.
Sebastian glanced at them, then nodded toward Alexander. "They are for you."
Alexander’s gaze dropped briefly to the envelopes. He studied them for a mont before stepping forward and taking them into his hand.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, without a hint of warmth or familiarity in his tone.
Then, without waiting for dismissal, he turned and walked away. The sound of his footsteps echoed briefly before fading, leaving the hall quiet once more.
Sebastian slowly leaned back into his throne as A deep sigh escaped him.
---
The mont Zarek stepped into his residence, the tension he had been restraining throughout the court finally snapped.
A vase shattered against the wall.
The sharp crash echoed through the room, followed by another—this ti a chair, shoved aside with enough force to splinter against the floor.
"Unbelievable!" he muttered under his breath, pacing restlessly. His anger burned openly now.
"The lengths he would go to..." he continued, his voice tightening. "Even bringing mages into the palace."
The word itself seed to irritate him.
Zarek let out a sharp, humourless laugh. "So, this is what it takes. He would rather bend rules, invite strangers into our territory... just to keep him alive," he said, shaking his head.
"He never does this for anyone else." The words ca quieter this ti and more honest.
Zarek stopped pacing, his hands curling slightly at his sides. "All of this... for him."
The bitterness was unmistakable now.
It wasn’t just anger rolling off his shoulders now, but also raw, unhidden jealousy.
---
anwhile, at the Queen’s palace, Lysandra’s reaction was calr, but no less severe after listening to the report delivered by her maid-in-waiting.
"...The King has ordered for mages to be summoned," the maid finished carefully.
Lysandra’s fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her sleeve. Then she turned slowly, her expression calm, though her eyes were not.
"Mages," she repeated.
The word sat poorly with her.
Her gaze lowered slightly, her thoughts moving quickly beneath the surface.
This was not a simple decision. And it disrupted more than she was comfortable with.
Her lips pressed together before she spoke again, this ti under her breath. "Why can’t he just let him die... Alexander is a lost cause."
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