Even after Lord Jethro went quiet for a long moment, none of the emperors spoke.
The silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable, filling the room until it felt almost suffocating.
No one interrupted it, so Lord Jethro finally continued to speak, as he sat back down in his seat.
"I knew that standing here and simply telling you that I was drugged would not help in any way," he said at last, his voice lower now, steadier but tired. "You would not believe me just because I said so. So I went to the hospital to try and get tested, to see if the drug could be traced."
He paused briefly, then added, "I do not know what the doctor found out."
He turned toward the doctor, who still looked as though he was standing on his lifeline. The man was rigid, his shoulders tense, his expression strained, clearly waiting for permission to leave.
He hesitantly stepped forward.
