Edric looked up.
The smile that flickered across his mouth was thin. Polished. A politician's reflex.
"Well. You're persistent."
"You sealed my room," Lindarion said.
"I asked for a delay," Edric corrected. "You've been unpredictable. It's not unusual to take precautions."
"Precautions?" Lindarion stepped closer. "You locked me in a warded room. No guards. No message. No time frame. That's not protocol. That's a trap with fancy paperwork."
Edric didn't rise. Just rested his fingers on the desk like he was keeping the wood from floating away.
"You've made people nervous."
"Good."
"Not the right people," Edric said. "You don't walk into another kingdom and start ordering around their court like you own it."
"I wasn't ordering. I was warning."
"Well, the warning's been received. The king will act when he sees fit."
"You tried to keep me quiet."
Edric's smile didn't move. "Did I succeed?"
Lindarion didn't answer.
