The Inner Council chamber was a monument to ice and power... vaulted ceilings carved with frost patterns that never melted, walls of polished marble that reflected candlelight like frozen stars.
The high nobles of Nevareth sat arranged in a semicircle, their faces tight with tension, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of demands and speculation.
At the head of the chamber, Emperor Soren Nivarre stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm despite the chaos swirling around him.
"Your Majesty, we need answers!" Lord Harwick's voice carried above the others. "Duke Cassius was a member of this very council. His murder cannot simply be..."
"...and Duchess Maren, of all people..."
"...what security measures are being taken..."
"...if nobles aren't safe in their own chambers..."
Soren raised one hand. The gesture was small, almost negligent, but silence crashed through the room like a physical force.
