"So... the whole point of this meeting was for you to have a chance to lecture us on our responsibilities?" Xeari's voice cut through the tense conversation, his tone sharp with disbelief.
Aster nodded curtly, his jaw still tight with anger.
Xeari rose from his throne slowly, his movements deliberate and controlled. The other kings watched as he straightened to his full height, his usually calm demeanor crackling with barely contained frustration.
"Let me correct you on that. You forget we are not just kings but growing teens. We just turned nineteen five months ago, and you expect us to behave like grown-ups when we are still learning to grow?"
Aster opened his mouth to respond, but Xeari raised his hand sharply, cutting him off. The gesture was so commanding that even the emperor's advisor fell silent.
