Gasps spread immediately across the hall. Several nobles looked stunned. Others instantly dropped their heads in reverence at the mention of the divine deity.
A priest near the front visibly crossed both hands over his chest and whispered a prayer beneath his breath.
But before Valerian continued speaking, his mind briefly drifted toward the conversation he had shared with Levina earlier before the banquet began.
He still remembered standing within his chambers while his younger sister paced around him with the confidence of someone entirely convinced of her own brilliance.
"This," Levina had insisted dramatically, "is your opportunity, brother."
Valerian had frowned. "My opportunity for what exactly?"
"To control the narrative before the people create one themselves."
Levina stopped pacing and pointed directly at him.
