Ethan was silent for a while before glancing at Ishtar. He saw how deeply those blunt words had saddened her.
Turning back to the King, he said, "She is a member of House Stark now, and she will never be used as anyone's weapon."
The tone in his voice made the General startle for a brief moment.
There had been no anger behind those words, yet there was a conviction that left no room for negotiation.
The King and Ethan stared at one another for a while as the tension between them steadily grew.
Eventually, Carson let out a sigh and shook his head.
——
A few minutes later…
The doors of the throne room opened once more as Ethan and Ishtar stepped outside. The massive doors slowly closed behind them with a heavy rumble.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Only after they had walked several meters away did Ishtar quietly glance toward Ethan before lowering her gaze once again.
Inside, King Carson rubbed his temples with a weary sigh.
