The Grand Duke exhaled, as if he had expected this request.
"That means we'll need to hold another council meeting and discuss everything again once you're fully stable," he said.
"I'm already fine," Jay countered.
"You are not fine," the Grand Duke shot back.
"I'm not injured."
"No, you're not," the Grand Duke agreed. Then he raised a finger and tapped Jay's chest lightly. "But you're hurt here. And that's enough to make your brain stop working properly. So rest first."
Jay clenched his jaw, unable to deny the truth in his father's words.
"I promise I'll return before the first snow," Jay said at last.
The Grand Duke exhaled deeply. The first snowfall would come in two days, and he knew his son well Jay never broke a promise. That alone told him how restless Jay truly was.
"Very well," the Grand Duke replied. "We'll hold the strategy meeting tomorrow. After that, you may return."
