The first thing Shadow noticed was that Gerald would not look at him.
That alone was enough to make him suspicious.
The old human stood several paces behind the king's chair, hands folded neatly behind his back, his silver hair catching the afternoon light pouring through the high windows of the council chamber.
Usually Gerald looked bored in meetings.
Sometimes mildly irritated.
Occasionally, when one of the older councilors began speaking about the evils of human machinery for the fourth time in an hour, Shadow could see the almost imperceptible tightening at the corner of his mouth.
Today, Gerald stared at the floor.
Shadow stopped before the long table.
Seven councilors.
The king.
Gerald.
And, resting inside a locked glass case against the far wall, one of the two Chaos Emeralds entrusted to Eclipse.
The green one.
Shadow's eyes went to it immediately.
Of course they did.
Councilor Bellam noticed.
His mouth thinned.
Shadow slowly looked back at him.
"Why am I here?"
The king sighed.
"Good afternoon to you as well, Shadow."
"You sent three guards to retrieve me from the training grounds."
"They escorted you."
"They attempted to."
One of the guards standing beside the doors very carefully looked elsewhere.
The king rubbed two fingers against his temple.
"Sit."
"I prefer standing."
"Shadow."
"I am standing."
Gerald's mouth twitched.
Barely.
Shadow caught it.
So Gerald wasn't completely dead behind the eyes after all.
The king stared at Shadow for another moment before apparently deciding the battle was not worth fighting.
"Very well."
Councilor Bellam shuffled several sheets of parchment in front of him.
That was worse.
Shadow disliked parchment.
Nothing good ever began with someone arranging parchment.
"The matter before us," Bellam said, "concerns the succession."
Shadow's expression did not change.
Internally, something sank.
"No."
Bellam blinked.
"We have not yet—"
"No."
"Your Highness—"
"I know what the word succession means."
The king's voice hardened.
"You will hear them out."
YOU ARE READING
Shadow Beneath the Crown.
FanfictionShadow never wanted to be a prince, much less a king. Raised under the care of a human girl named Maria, Shadow has spent most of his life serving a kingdom that distrusts humanity's technology as its most powerful weapon. All he wants are the Chaos...
