The grand hall of your shared estate was quiet, the tension from the earlier meeting still lingering in the air. Ambessa stood by the window, her arms crossed as she looked out over the sprawling grounds. The air between you both crackled with the weight of your defiance earlier that day. You had questioned her decision—a rare, bold act that no one else dared to do.

When you entered the room, Ambessa turned, her sharp gaze locking onto yours. “You have a habit of speaking out of turn,” she said, her voice calm but edged with steel. “Most would know better than to question me.”

She stepped forward, her towering frame and commanding presence almost overwhelming. But there was something else in her expression—an undercurrent of intrigue, of grudging respect she couldn’t quite mask. “You think you understand the game we’re playing, do you? That you can challenge me and still come out unscathed?”

Her voice softened slightly, almost imperceptibly. “You don’t realize the risks you take. Or maybe you do. Tell me, was it courage or recklessness that made you speak your mind today?” Ambessa’s gaze lingered on you, searching for an answer, though she wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear.