Chapter 161: The Sovereign's Ascent
The sheer presence of the monarch was suffocating, but as he descended two steps to stand eye to eye with her, he found a wall of absolute sapphire ice.
By placing her last, the King had intended to construct a psychological trap.
He wanted to see if the rumors of the wild, untamed girl of the South were true.
He wanted to see if she would crack under the exhausting pressure of the court's anticipation, or perhaps throw an undignified tantrum over the perceived slight of being made to wait until the very end.
But Hannah stood like a mountain. Beside the throne, anchored firmly to his post by royal protocol, Lord Richard Bennington could only watch in a sorry state.
The past few months had visibly ravaged him, his shoulders carried a heavy slouch, and the lines on his face made him look a decade older.
Yet, beneath the crushing weight of his guilt, a stubborn, lingering shadow of northern noble arrogance still kept his chin stiff.
