The silence that followed his declaration was almost overwhelming.
Everyone's eyes were firmly fixed on the duke, their expression a clear indication that bewilderment was just one of the emotions swirling in their heads.
Who would have thought that Duke Vincent Kadler, the one to whom the slave trading brings the most money, would vote for the princess' proposal which would make him lose a significant cut of his income?
Lorelai shifted her eyes to the queen and noticed how pale her expression was. Together with her son, the crown prince, they looked like they could kill with their glare if only that was possible.
But the seed had been successfully planted. The duke's authority was impossible to ignore and knowing how tightly he was linked to the queen's power, even if she wanted to oppose such a suggestion, Althea knew that she could not.
A lot of time had passed in silence before the meeting room was filled with voices once again.
