When darkness fell, the celebration shifted into the Great Banquet Hall.
Crystal chandeliers threw thousands of tiny specks of light across long tables loaded with silver plate, roasted meats, and heavy northern wines.
The room was packed with the full hierarchy of the empire: provincial dukes, high priestesses, guild masters, and foreign diplomats.
At one of the side tables, Ellyn sat entirely unconcerned with the grand political speeches being made at the high table.
He was currently on his fourth plate of small honey-pastries, eating them with the quiet focus of a young scholar who had spent his entire life on library rations and had just discovered luxury.
Across the hall, Aldwin was surrounded by a thick cluster of senior mages. He held a glass of dark red wine, his face illuminated by the spark of a small spell he was casually demonstrating over his dessert plate.
