Nolan paced his chambers like a caged animal, his footsteps wearing a path across the stone floor.Elmund stood near the door, quiet and still, waiting.Vivien had been shown to a room in the far wing of the palace, as far from Nolan's chambers as physically possible, but her presence still felt suffocating even from that distance."If I send her away publicly," Nolan said, thinking aloud, "she has every right to seek justice at the council."Elmund said nothing, knowing this wasn't a conversation that required his input yet."The council could challenge my judgment," Nolan continued, his jaw tight. "They could question my honor, my father's honor, the legitimacy of agreements made in his name. And despite being the highest authority in this kingdom, they could take the leadership from me if they decided I'd dishonored a sacred debt."He stopped pacing and pressed his palms flat against the windowsill, staring out at the palace grounds."What I need is a private solution. Something qu
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