---
I noticed Ethanos and Leael beside me breathe a little easier, their relief mirrored by the rest of the room as if a weight had suddenly lifted from all of us.
The tension that had nearly suffocated us moments ago was now gone, and the person responsible for it was now sitting at the front, looking more like a child about to lead a discussion than the dangerous figure he had seemed just a while ago.
"O-okay, guys. L-let's start o-our m-meeting," King said, his voice no longer carrying the ominous edge from before. He glanced at Ethanos and Leael, his doll still clutched in one hand. "Y-you t-two, t-take y-your seats…"
Leael and Ethanos quickly complied, but before Ethanos sat down, he caught my eye and gave me a playful wink. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he headed to his seat, his soft chuckles breaking the silence.
"You're really the kindest king!"
