He had always planned for his family to rise in power and had groomed his son Henry, strengthened their position within the Federation, and slowly consolidated influence.
But had he give too much power to someone who can go against him, had his own maneuvering created something that was now spiraling out of control?
No, he shook the thought away but even so, he had to answer her because right now, in this room, everyone was waiting and his silence would be more damning than anything he could say.
Just as he was about to speak—
"It's just a conjecture." A new voice cut through the tension as Richard's head snapped up.
Standing behind him, Alaric Riendfeld his great grandson had stepped forward. The young man's expression was firm, but there was a hint of nervousness in his eyes.
"This is all based on speculation," Alaric continued, his voice carefully measured. "You don't have any evidence that my family intends to break away."
