A deafening silence took over. Mabel stared at Tristan as he stared down at the table, drinking his glass of wine and pouring himself another. Her mouth opened and closed numerous times; the words and thoughts she wanted to say got trapped and then lost, replaced by new ones. It must have been all a lie, or a grand story to cheer her up. That was all she could truly believe about such a thing, but seeing the myriad of emotions that he always hid coming to light, she couldn't be sure.
'Survive and wait.' That command got trapped in her mind, and slowly she lifted her own glass to her mouth to hide her shock. To her, that could have only meant one thing. 'Something wants him to be king.' Staring at Tristan, her eyes shook. This wasn't just treason if said to the wrong person; it was sacrilegious as well. To claim you were divinely ordered by a God for a purpose.
