Kael's POV
“No,” Leon says grimly. “But he’ll try to find a compromise. Something that lets him save face and maintain the alliance.”
I don’t like the tone in his voice.
“What kind of compromise?”
“He’ll probably push for Zari to become your official royal mate,” Leon explains carefully, “and suggest that Elara could be... accommodated... as a concubine.”
Cold fury invades my chest like ice forming over deep water. My expression doesn’t change, but both my friends are still going.
“Concubine.”
The word comes out perfectly calm, perfectly controlled.
“It’s an archaic practice,” Seth says quickly. “Only the royal family is permitted to take concubines, and no king has done so for generations. But technically, the law allowing them still exists.”
“The Council might see it as a reason
