The Prime Minister's voice droned on, a dry recitation of clauses and sub-clauses that seemed designed to put the court to sleep.
However, no one slept. Every noble in the hall was listening with the intensity of a starving wolf, taking mental notes that would decide the fate of their houses.
I, too, listened. But while they heard regulations, I heard the mechanics of the coming war.
To summarize the old man's long-winded speech, it basically came down to four crucial points that would define the next month of our lives.
First: The Mandate.
Every heir who had passed the age of 16 was required to attend. There were no exemptions for illness, cowardice, or political maneuvering.
Furthermore, those who had not yet undergone the Awakening ritual, mostly the younger siblings, would undergo it within the week.
