Arthur returns to his chambers in Gizmo's impossible palace, satisfaction radiating from him like heat from a forge.
The meeting had gone better than expected—he'd positioned himself as the obvious choice for dungeon raid leadership, and he'd claimed Cassius's wife right under the hero's nose. The memory of Nara's wild abandon in the garden still lingers, her beast clan scent clinging faintly to his skin.
"Will there be anything else, my lord?" Hawklight asks, his scarred face carefully neutral. His nostrils flare almost imperceptibly—beast clan scent mixed with something else his soldier's instincts can't identify.
"Just ensure our corridor remains undisturbed tonight," Arthur says meaningfully.
A knowing glint enters Hawklight's eyes. "Of course, my lord. I'll personally handle security."
As the door closes, Arthur rolls his shoulders, feeling the tension of the day's political maneuvering. He begins unbuttoning his formal attire, ready to retire for the night.
