The Foundation of Kingdom
Leon sat upon the throne.
Still.
Composed.
Unshaken.
But his eyes—
His eyes moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Across every single woman standing before him.
Not as lovers.
Not as companions.
But as pillars.
One by one.
He took them in.
Like carving the second deep into thought.
Heavy quiet filled the room, not silent exactly - more like waiting. A pause that pressed down, much like sky right before thunder rolls in. Nobody moved fast. Not even breathing came easy; each inhale seemed watched. Stillness held them, tight.
Still, Leon watched. Not drifting, never lost in thought. His eyes stayed fixed, though not like most men do when they see women. Hard edges there. Nothing warm. No give.
Only calculation.
Recognition.
And something deeper—something unspoken.
Rias felt it first.
She stood beside him.
Not behind.
Not below.
Beside.
