The Emperor caught the flicker of curiosity in Leon's eyes and almost smiled at the irony of it. 'How funny,' he thought, 'an emperor of my stature showing weakness before a boy.'
But the momentary lapse made sense. After all, it had been a Living Tether that trapped his mother, a truth buried deep within the vault of his memory, one Leon didn't need to know now.
Leon could tell something about the topic had struck a nerve. The air between them grew heavy, so to shift it back, he spoke. "So these Living Tethers… are they what you want me to handle?"
Alexander exhaled, collecting himself before replying, "No. That would be too direct." His tone returned to the controlled steadiness expected of a ruler. "First, we test the fire."
Leon tilted his head slightly. "The Environmental Tethers."
