The standoff broke with a rough and ugly tension.
Aurelian let out a sharp, frustrated breath, his fingers digging into the marble railing until his knuckles turned white. His plan for a 'legal' execution had been derailed by his own children, and the sight of Alaric—bloodthirsty and unyielding—was a pressure he couldn't ignore.
"Rowan!" the Emperor snapped, his voice echoing with a cold irritation, and Rowan, appearing behind him like he had been there the whole time.
Aurelian looked at his aide for a fleeting second, his eyes narrowed as if he suspected something, but he couldn't grasp any reason for Rowan to go against him. "Bring Julian Von Astrea down. Since the Duke is so... eager for a reunion, let us not keep him waiting."
In the Jade Wing, the heavy bolt slammed back, and the doors flew open. Rowan appeared, looking like a man who had just escaped his own funeral. He didn't say a word; he simply gestured for Julian to move.
