The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence the moment King Aden finished speaking.
Lumina could feel Ashen's heartbeat calm and steady beneath her cheek as she rested against him, his arm wrapped securely around her waist.
She had refused to walk earlier, still too weak from the strain of her returning sight, and Ashen had insisted on carrying her without a hint of hesitation.
Queen Sephora was the first to react to the king's words.
Her voice rose in disbelief as she leaned slightly forward in her seat, staring at the king as though he had suddenly spoken another language.
"What do you mean by that?" she demanded.
King Aden only smiled and straightened on his throne, his presence filling the entire hall.
