The vampire emperor's eyes narrowed as he shot Edmund a piercing gaze. The atmosphere in the throne room grew tense, the silence thick enough to cut with a knife. "And why..." the emperor began with a cold and deliberate tone, "...are you suddenly curious about what happened with your brother?"
Edmund remained calm, though he could feel the force of his father's scrutiny bearing down on him. "My curiosity is just random, Father," he said, carefully choosing his words. He knew better than to reveal his recent encounter with Raidin. "The reason for Raidin's exile has always been vague to me. I feel it's my right to know what happened, to understand why my brother was banished."
The vampire emperor's expression remained unreadable with his eyes still locked on Edmund as if trying to see through him. For a long moment, he said nothing causing tension to build in the air like an impending storm.
