"After all…" Arthur added with a thin, almost playful smile, "isn't this the very reason you came to Keldoria, Prince Edric?"
Edric met his gaze evenly, masking the weight of what he had witnessed moments ago with cool diplomacy. "Yes, Your Majesty. I've come under direct authority from my father—to witness your kingdom firsthand and finalize a new agreement between Chronos and Keldoria."
Arthur nodded slowly, resting his elbow against the lion-headed armrest of his throne. "Good. Then let us speak without pretense."
The atmosphere in the grand hall tightened once more. The awe of the mechanical marvels they had just witnessed still lingered in the minds of the Chronos delegation—but now, the tone shifted. The discussion returned to politics. Power. Consequence.
