ELIA
"She is no queen!"
"This is not the intention of the rite!"
"A human? Did he just say he's mating a human?"
The chaos was swift and noisy, punctuated by howls and other noises that made Elia startle. But Reth didn't even break eye contact. When the protests didn't die down, he barked, "Silence!" and the crowd cut off immediately, shifting on their feet and murmuring, but no one raised their voices again. Only after they'd settled did Reth turn to look at them. "If you would speak to me, speak plainly and show yourself. I will not give an audience to cowards hanging behind a crowd."
"She won through a deception," a deep voice barked from Elia's right. She whirled as Reth chuckled and swung his massive body slowly around to face the man as if he was not afraid to have that menacing voice at his back.
