Serena wasn't entirely sure where Tiberon's answer would land.
On one hand, the damage was already done. Drakenfell's Crown Princess was sitting in Shadowclaw's seat, which implied she was Shadowclaw's Luna. Though she hadn't outright said that, that was the political math. On the other hand, Tiberon had never once in his life let someone else define his position for him, and Serena had just defined it by sitting in this chair.
If he voted yes, Serena's seat would be partially attributed to Drakenfell's backing. If he rejected it and she held the seat anyway, her authority would be entirely self-made. Paradoxically, rejecting her could strengthen her position more than accepting it, because it would remove the "Drakenfell installed her" narrative permanently.
Serena stopped trying to figure out what Tiberon Drakenfell was thinking after a few seconds.
The room waited.
