Darius's fingers tightened slightly around the armrest of the throne.
"How dare you speak that way in my hall," he said coldly.
His voice remained controlled, but the anger underneath it was clear.
Garion didn't seem bothered at all. He shrugged casually and looked around the hall.
"What?" Garion said with a relaxed tone. "I'm just being honest."
He tilted his head slightly toward Dahlia. "Looking at the situation, you're the reason your clan lost a genius."
A few of the Draconia guards shifted uneasily where they stood.
Some of them looked at Dahlia, others glanced nervously at Darius, unsure how far this conversation would go.
Garion continued speaking calmly. "Not my fault, by the way, that the genius came to me and grew stronger under me."
He placed one hand on his hip and looked straight at Darius. "So what do you think about that, Patriarch Darius?"
The words were said almost casually, but the meaning behind them was sharp.
