#Chapter 135 – A King Born or Made?

Damon The council chamber was still humming with posturing and layered innuendo when the phrase drifted past me, though I was sure it wasn’t meant for my ears. “…illegitimate heirs are always the most dangerous,” one of the lesser lords muttered, lips half-concealed behind a goblet of mulled wine. I almost let it pass. Almost. The words snagged something deep in my chest, a splinter of memory I didn’t want to name. I turned slowly, watching the noble lean toward his companion, chuckling over his own cleverness like it was unique. And maybe to him, it was. A casual insult. A jab at some unrelated scandal. But for me— It was too sharp. Too close. I sat motionless, spine straight, palms flat against the carved arms of my chair as the discussion shifted toward trade routes and escort fees. I heard none of it. My pulse had begun to throb at the base of my throat. Not rage, not yet. Just something colder. Uncertainty. The meeting eventually adjourned, nobles filing out