Melva had never been to the palace's court before and she wondered whether the air inside there was really suffocating or it was the effect of the tension between Vance and Eldridge. She was sure that the others would also feel that much tension in the air, however, no one was really bothered with it. Was this how it normally was between them during council meetings? Or was it only because of the incident in the Maltos Forest? Her senses told her that it was both, which intensified the tension.
Fortunately, the dukes didn't immediately kill each other upon meeting again in the courtroom after a few days of rest. Melva thought that was a very good thing, despite their rather disastrous hunting party. None of them initiated a conversation, which was actually better than their usual endless arguments. Much to Melva's relief, they all looked fine, no injuries visible. That was the main reason why she had come here in the first place.
