Kingmaker in the Shadows
"She has persuaded multiple noble houses to submit."
Leon nodded slowly.
"And the rest?"
Ronan hesitated.
"Some asked for time. Some refused."
A brief lift touched Leon's mouth, just for a pulse.
Yet the grin faded.
Frost crept across Leon's face. "No."
Cold crept into the yard, tugging at Ronan's skin. A shift hung in the air, quiet but sharp.
Just as Leon started to talk, Ronan stepped in. Then silence fell again.
"There is something else you should know."
His eyes landed on the man.
Finding each phrase took time.
"Our scouts have returned from across the kingdom with troubling news. The nobles who refused to submit to us… have been sighted in the northern territories. They've reported unusual movements."
Leon's gaze hardened.
"Explain."
"A group of northern nobles - along with the ones who rejected our terms - are secretly gathering."
Leon's eyes narrowed.
"Conspiring."
A pause flickered across Ronan's face, brief as a blink.
