Though Krona, the Lord of the West, had met Keter through Eslow’s introduction, that wasn’t the only reason she was interested in him. She simply liked him, and that made her all the more curious to see how Keter would act when cornered. 0

He had already shown once that he had no mercy for clear enemies. So, she wondered how he would respond to a vague ally.  If that ally became troublesome, or if they were someone he couldn’t win against, would Keter yield? Or would he resort to force?0

“Keter, you’ve made me wait twice now, and this time you refused a private meeting altogether. That’s a level of disrespect even Her Majesty the Queen has never shown me.”0

Her tone was sharp, almost scolding. The nobles from the west glared at Keter, ready to leap to Krona’s defense. Originally, the western nobles had no ill will toward Keter or Sefira—in fact, they were neutral. Had Keter treated Krona with courtesy, they would have leaned favorably toward him and his family. After all, Krona’s very presence at Sefira’s party gave them a reason for alliance and goodwill.0

But now that Krona had been publicly slighted, the western nobles had a reason to oppose Sefira instead. A single careless word from Keter, and the entire western region of...0