Dravina’s POV

Breakfast was served in the grand dining hall, a far more formal setting than the private spaces I had grown accustomed to. Malrik had insisted on addressing his officers after the summons, and though the thought of sharing a table with others unsettled me, I understood the necessity.

Ordinarily, Malrik would have bent his routine to shield me from discomfort, but this was one of those moments when duty eclipsed personal comfort.

As we stepped inside, my gaze swept the table ...