“One who doesn’t have any respect for our history and heraldry and my family’s rightful lineage,” he huffs. Beside him, his rival has puffed up even further like an affronted pigeon, bristling at his words: “History? Excuse you, my family’s been in the Grand Necropolis for generations before your merchant-princes bought their way in—”

In the back, Astrid has surreptitiously sidled even further to the side until she’s standing slightly behind Teren.