The Man Who Laughs Part II, Book the First, Chapter VIII - Inferi

In which the delicate balance of courtly power is laid bare, revealing that true influence dwells not in the lofty heights of grandeur but in the obscure recesses of servitude and subtlety. The narrative gently unmasks the paradox that those who seem most humble often hold the strings of sovereignty, their whispered councils shaping the fate of kings and kingdoms alike.