The doctor's quiet announcement broke the silence. "He's back to consciousness."
All eyes immediately shifted to him. A wave of heat rose in Zaeryn's chest—a mix of embarrassment at having collapsed like some fragile child and the gnawing bite of old, familiar frustration.
'What are those two doing here?' he wondered, spotting Lady Valerius and Charlotte Thorne among the gathered faces. But as his gaze swept the hospital room, he realized the situation was far worse than he'd thought. Not only were Lady Valerius and Commander Charlotte Thorne present when he woke up, but every single council member from the previous day's meeting had assembled around his bedside.
"Hi?" he greeted them, his voice uncertain.
His eyes found the silver-braided woman first, a council member he remembered from his initial appearance before them.
She was the one who had announced his arrival that first time, her voice smooth and sure, though tinged with a dismissive edge that had got on his nerves.
