Leo listened to everything the elders had to say with a sharp, calculating gaze, his fingers absently curled around the warm porcelain of his tea cup.
He made a genuine effort to keep an open mind and assess their offers pragmatically, reminding himself that his family's safety was on the line and that raw power often came bundled with compromise. But that didn't mean he was naïve enough to buy into everything they were saying.
Not even close.
He could smell their veiled intentions from a mile away.
They wanted him to become the next Dragon of the Cult. That much was clear.
But what wasn't clear, what reeked of omission, was the real reason behind why they were pushing so hard for it to be him and not this so-called Veyr to become Dragon, as Leo refused to believe their reasoning was as noble or simple as "Veyr is unsuitable."
That kind of explanation didn't hold up under scrutiny.
