"Used it for what specifically," Mira said, her accountant's mind going immediately to application and outcome.
Elara looked at her.
"Succession magic at this classification level does one of three things," she said. "It can suppress a bloodline's magical inheritance — effectively neutralising a royal's power without visible cause. It can accelerate a transition of power through bloodline interference, making a natural death appear to happen at a convenient time. Or—" She paused. "It can be used to falsify bloodline markers. To make someone appear to carry a bloodline they don't."
The room was quiet.
"Making a non-royal appear royal," Ken said.
"Or making one royal appear more legitimate than another," Elara said. "Adjusting the magical signature that the Emperor's — that the previous Emperor's bloodline left on his children. Strengthening one. Weakening others."
Dimitri looked like he'd swallowed something unpleasant. "How long would that have taken to arrange."
