Ser Ira's gaze locked onto Steve, her expression still and unyielding as she gripped the hilt of her blade.
The tension between them hung in the air like a storm about to break. The silence stretched on, heavy and charged, until suddenly, a voice interrupted.
"Whoa, whoa, let's calm down here." Sarah stepped forward, raising her hand to halt the growing turmoil. Her words sliced through the charged atmosphere, but Ser Ira's icy eyes didn't waver from Steve.
"Exactly," Ser Ira said with cold clarity, her voice smooth but firm.
"Inferiors should obey their superior's orders."
Steve's eyes flashed with defiance, though his tone remained level.
"I don't want to disobey you. I don't want to defy my superior. But you can't expect me to just back down and leave my mother to die out there."
Ser Ira's eyes stayed locked on him, unmoving. Behind her, Tonya stepped into view, her voice soft but pointed.
