Sebastian, unfortunately, was also there.
That alone made the entire exercise significantly worse.
He was technically there because the meeting touched cross-border coordination with Palatine units and logistical review, and Sebastian had both the rank and the temperament to make himself useful in almost anything that involved uniforms, budgets, or the possibility of saying something sharp in a respectable tone.
In practice, he made the room feel smaller.
Not because he was loud. Sebastian had the type of presence that allowed his attention to wander just enough to make everyone work harder for it. Dark coat thrown over the back of his chair, sleeves pushed up once the room grew too warm, expression caught somewhere between professional focus and effortless boredom, like none of this was quite enough to deserve the full force of his mind.
Nero had spent most of the meeting trying not to look at him too often.
Which would have been easier if Sebastian had not kept speaking.
