Alexander's glare did nothing to unsettle David.
Men like him were not moved by anger, especially not from someone younger. He had stood in the middle of battlefields, watched brothers fall one by one, and continued forward without hesitation. A young man's fury, no matter how intense, was insignificant in comparison.
"She's going to start a family," David continued, his tone carrying that same quiet, immovable certainty. "She'll raise his children properly; children who understand duty, who will serve this nation with honor. That will be her contribution. That will be her purpose… her atonement."
Atonement.
The word lingered, heavy and deliberate.
Alexander said nothing at first.
He knew men like David. Men who shaped truth to their convenience, who spoke with conviction not because they were right, but because they were used to being obeyed. Lies, half-truths, manipulation… it was all the same to them, as long as it bent others to their will.
And yet…
