Addison noticed it, too. Her eyes reddened as she bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to remain silent. She had nothing to offer at this point, and interrupting her father's attempt might only ruin his plan.
She knew him well enough to understand that he wasn't being heartless or throwing his authority around just for the hell of it. He had his reasons, and she trusted that he was trying to help her in the only way he could.
Her gaze shifted to Archmage Elric, whose expression remained tense and troubled. For once, the old man had no immediate protest. No one could tell what was going on inside his head, but the fact that he hadn't outright rejected the Alpha King's ridiculous order left two possibilities: either he simply couldn't bring himself to defy the Alpha King, or that stubborn old brain of his was already working overtime, desperately trying to figure out how to pull off the impossible.
