A faint shift rippled through the room, like the tension in the air before a storm breaks. Even the lantern light seemed sharper, the etched wards humming against the glass panes with a subtle tremor.
Damian's gaze swept the table, molten eyes cold enough to burn. "Two months," he said, each word measured, unhurried, lethal. "Two months since I declared the embargo. Two months since I ordered every channel monitored, every crossing sealed, every transaction accounted for. And yet…" He let the word hang, turning the folio so the seal caught the light. "I have not seen the full reports."
A minister from the western bloc cleared his throat, his voice wavering. "Your Majesty, we…"
Damian didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to. "Do not tell me what you intend. Tell me what you have done."
