The attendant unrolled the scroll.
The hall leaned forward.
Michael, however, stayed relaxed, feeling the stem of the glass between his fingers.
He already had a rough idea of what would happen.
Some names would be called.
Some people would be pleased.
Others would be offended.
And somewhere in that list was his own name.
He was starting to wonder what the reaction would be.
The Second Prince lifted his chin slightly, signaling for silence.
"We will begin with the royal family," he said.
A perfectly normal starting point. Expected, even.
The hall's reaction reflected that.
It was the royal family. Of course they would have a slot.
Michael nodded to himself.
Reasonable enough.
The Second Prince continued.
"The first name on the original list is His Highness the Tenth Prince."
A small stir rolled through the hall, though much quieter than before.
Michael blinked.
Tenth?
He could not stop his immediate thought.
Just how many children did the old king give birth to?
