Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of thought, he looked up at Thane, his gaze sharper now, more direct.
"You've got a good head for this. Always have," the king said, his voice a mixture of admiration and a growing sense of reliance on Thane's judgment.
He gave a brief, approving nod, as though reassuring himself that he had made the right call in trusting his most capable ally. "What's our next step?"
Thane didn't answer immediately.
His gaze shifted toward the tall, arched windows that lined one side of the room, their panes framed by intricate wooden carvings.
Through them, the pale light of the morning was beginning to spill into the room, casting a soft glow across the stone floors.
Outside, the distant sounds of the tournament crowd were growing louder, carried on the crisp morning breeze.
The faint echoes of cheers and the blaring of horns drifted in through the open space, a reminder of the spectacle underway just beyond the palace walls.
