She turned to look directly at Lysander, and she watched him tense slightly under her gaze.
"I'm questioning all three assumptions," Eve said. "And I'm requesting that before we proceed further, the Council demand independent verification of Lysander's claimed lineage through Fae territorial archives. Proper verification, conducted by Fae scholars who have no stake in this challenge's outcome."
The chamber erupted in murmurs.
Corvus's expression shifted, barely, but noticeably. A flicker of concern crossing his features before he smoothed it back into careful neutrality.
"That verification process could take weeks," Corvus said, recovering quickly. "The challenge has already been filed. Surely the burden shouldn't be on us to prove legitimacy but on you to prove the challenge invalid."
