The gates of the Capital swung open, a slow, groan of iron.
Elias sat in the medical carriage, his back straight against the leather padding.
Outside, the Academy's silence had been replaced by the roar of the city— the chaotic sound of wheels on cobbles, the cries of street vendors, and the scent of a million lives pressed together.
Through the narrow window of the carriage, the Palace loomed. It was a massive building of white stones, spires and towers carved into the side of the cliffs overlooking the sea. There were the royal families banner decorating every spire and tower. It would take a few minutes to get there now.
When the carriage finally lurched to a halt in the Outer Ward of the castle, the door was opened not by a friendly face, but by the indifferent hand of a palace footman.
Elias stepped out. He was no longer a student. He was no longer a prisoner of the Annex. He was now a Crown Asset.
