Aurelia's expression softened. He had said it without hesitation, and the absolute certainty in his voice left little room for doubt. Still, she touched his arm softly.
"I understand why you are angry. I do. But I would rather you make decisions that strengthen your reign than those that merely satisfy your anger." She looked at him, her mind rapidly weighing the political fallout.
"It is an inevitable truth that... during your long absences from the realm, when you marched to the border or rode to the Caelmont summits, it was always your mother who sat the high seat and oversaw the affairs of state."
"She sat the high seat only because I had no reigning queen beside me," Valerian stated, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.
