"Liam, please put the damned collar down," Arik said, one hand covering his forehead.
He sat behind the broad desk in the study, surrounded by reports, council records, and several administrative charts that appeared to have been designed by people who actively resented clarity.
Arik had spent the past hour attempting to understand how Nuria functioned.
The answer, so far, appeared to be that Cassian had personally prevented the entire empire from collapsing through stubbornness, threats, and an alarming number of committees.
Liam had been considerably less interested in the structure of regional governance.
He sat on the carpet beside the low coffee table, one leg folded beneath him, his tools spread across its surface in meticulous rows. Several pieces of the collar had already been removed and placed upon a cloth, while diagrams, notes, and measurements occupied the remaining space.
Arik had nothing against Liam dismantling the collar. He had agreed to that part.
