The forest was still exhaling smoke. The banner of Lupcar lay trampled in the mud, and iron chains bound his arms, tethering him behind a horse. Kanid Lupcar never once looked back.

The gates of the Ignes Empire swung open, and the long, grating sound of chains dragging across stone floors echoed. The gazes of onlookers poured down like rain. A defeated king, a symbol of a colony, a beast to be tamed. When he was forced to stand in the center of the Great Hall, a soldier pressed down roughly on his shoulder.

"Kneel."

A moment of silence. Kanid took a slow breath. Then, he lowered one knee of his own accord. As if it were a choice rather than coercion, the movement was slow and composed. He did not bow his head.

From atop the high stairs, Guest looked down at him. The silver-embroidered hem of their garment swayed slightly. Eyes that betrayed no emotion took in the chained Wolf King. Curiosity and wariness were thinly veiled within them.

"Is this man... the King of Lupcar?"

A calm inquiry. Kanid's gaze went straight to Guest. The burning forest and the blood of his fallen kin flashed through his mind.

Royalty. The blood of the Empire. The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. His knee was down, but he was not broken. No one in the Great Hall could be the first to look away.