Commander Zion Ardent's personal office was in the western command wing of the palace, close enough to the military chambers to serve as a working post, but removed enough to offer privacy when reports required careful handling.
Tharionson moved through that wing without slowing, passing two clerks and a patrol captain who immediately stepped aside at the sight of him. None of them spoke beyond formal greetings, and he did not stop to answer with anything more than a curt nod.
By the time he reached Zion's door, his mind had already begun organizing what needed to be asked.
He knocked once, then opened the door without waiting for permission.
