The silence stretched between them, broken only by distant music and the gentle ripple of flags in the late afternoon breeze. Gabriel didn't move, but his eyes had narrowed slightly, enough to register the shift from cordial to dangerous.
"Don't trust Lucius," Daniel repeated, voice low. "He's on par with Hadeon when it comes to what you gave up—when you chose Lyon House to rule over your own."
Gabriel's fingers tightened on the balcony rail.
"I'm not surprised," he said quietly. "Only annoyed I let myself forget how deep those roots go."
Daniel didn't look smug. Just… sad. Like a man watching an old truth return with a new face.
"He won't stop," the Grand Duke said. "Not even now. He's spent too long planting seeds in the dark. You gave him time. That was the only thing he needed."
