Chapter 134

MAGNAR’S POV I tapped my fingers against the wooden armrest of my chair, my gaze drifting to my father. He was waiting for something. His eyes flicked to the grand entrance every few moments, checking the time, his jaw tight even as he wore a practiced, almost sickeningly sweet smile. Ever since the royals arrived, he had been too pleasant—his words laced with excessive flattery, his demeanour unnervingly controlled. He wasn’t usually like this. He never cared for formalities unless they served his purpose. His obsession was showing. And if I had noticed, then so had everyone else. Even Valeria. I stole a glance at her across the area. Her posture was tense, her lips pressed into a thin line, her sharp eyes scanning everything, absorbing every detail. She knew he was up to something. We all did. To the others, it would seem absurd—a suicidal move—to attempt to dethrone the royals here, in their presence, at their own event, surrounded by their most trusted warriors. But that was the pr