Inside the royal palace, the throne room stood heavy with tension.
The grand throne at the far end—once occupied by King Edward—now sat empty beneath a banner bearing the imperial crest. Sunlight filtered weakly through tall stained-glass windows, casting fractured colors across polished marble floors and towering stone pillars.
The room was crowded.
Dozens of nobles filled the hall, dressed in their finest attire—brocade coats, embroidered dresses, jeweled pins, and family crests. Yet, despite the splendor, there was a clear sense of imbalance. Several key figures were missing.
Duke Reynard, Arthur williams , Marquis Starlight, Augustus Sinclair, and a number of other high-ranking nobles were nowhere to be seen—they were all currently at the borders, holding off invaders and trying to keep the empire from crumbling.
What remained in the capital were those who could afford to stay behind… and those more interested in power than in war.
