The large dining hall buzzed with conversation as nobles from both Aetherlyn and Drakonia sat around the long dining table. But the atmosphere between them was anything but harmonious, there was a calculating gaze everywhere and a hint of substle pride in their eyes, like another party was beneath them.
King Alaric of Aetherlyn sat at one end of the table, his face lined with the stern expression he always wore in political matters. Across from him, King Rhyzar of Drakonia seemed more relaxed, but beneath that casual demeanor, there was an unmistakable sense of authority.
The two kings had been exchanging pleasantries for some time now, but it was clear that beneath their words lay a subtle competition.
