Nerith had barely disappeared into the deeper section of the palace when the rhythm of the hall changed again. Council attendants began circulating through the gathering in pairs, stopping beside the delegations of the Eight and speaking quietly to whoever answered for each group.
The announcement travelled faster than they did. The formal Council would not begin immediately, the eight heads were being given time to prepare, and several private rooms along the inner galleries had been opened for the conversations that needed to happen before the doors closed.
That was enough to transform the hall. People who had spent the morning pretending to socialise grew markedly deliberate about where they stood, advisers vanished into side corridors, and messengers began carrying sealed notes between the delegations. A few representatives who had spent an hour trying to reach one person abandoned the attempt and went hunting for another.
