He stomped over, closing the distance to Seraphina in two large strides. He didn't drop to one knee like Elian Vance had. He just bent at the waist, resting his hands on his knees, putting his scarred face right in front of hers.
"Hello there, little spark!" Leonidas boomed, his breath smelling faintly of cinnamon and smoke. "I am Archduke Leonidas Valen! The Lord of the Flame! But you can call me Uncle Leo!"
Seraphina blinked.
Uncle Leo?
"You aren't my uncle," Seraphina stated matter-of-factly. "You are the enemy. Papa said you wanted to purge us."
Leonidas threw his head back and unleashed another deafening, booming laugh. "Did he now?! That's so your typical Kaelus! Always adding dramatic flair to our political disagreements!"
Leonidas turned back to Kaelus, crossing his arms. "Purge you? Kaelus, you dramatic fool, if I purged you, who would I argue with at the Imperial summits? The other Dukes are boring sycophants."
