The reception was held in the Grand Hall.
The tables had been arranged in a large circle, the high nobles closest to the center, the lower nobles farther out, the merchants and officials and minor lords pressed against the walls. The food was extravagant, course after course, each dish more elaborate than the last. The wine flowed freely. The music never stopped.
Kaelen sat at the head of the table, beside Lysander, and tried to remember the names of the people who came to congratulate him.
Lord Ashworth was there. The matriarch,. She was cold and polite and her eyes never stopped moving. She looked at Kaelen like she was calculating his worth.
"The contract," she said, "is now void."
"The contract," Lysander said, "Was void the moment the king signed the decree."
"Yes, your highness."
"I got word of you people dealing with Ambiourious, stop it before I interfere."
The matriarch's smile did not waver. But her eyes went hard.
She moved on.
The refiners came next.
