~LUCIAN'S POV
A few hours after the court session ended, the palace no longer felt like a battlefield pretending to be a diplomatic chamber.
The throne hall was abandoned for a smaller receiving wing, the kind designed for conversation rather than spectacle, though nothing about the gathering suggested ease.
Servants moved quietly between clusters of nobles carrying wine and low conversation, the entire gathering curated to encourage familiarity without forcing it.
It was working only on the surface.
The vampires moved through our corridors with polite restraint, speaking when required, listening more than they answered, their attention lingering just long enough on doors, guards, and exits to make the intention clear.
Our nobles returned the courtesy without offering comfort.
No one challenged them, but that did not mean they were welcomed either.
I accepted a glass of wine from a passing servant without drinking from it, allowing my gaze to drift across the room.
