Elias stood three paces behind Cassian, the cold biting through his grey tunic.
He had spent the last hour regulating his internal temperature, pulling his magic inward to create an illusion of stillness. Beside him, the ministers were huddling into their fur-lined robes, their breaths coming out like pale ghosts.
The heavy thud of hooves announced the arrival. The great Northern carriage, rolled into the center of the courtyard. It arrived alone because the luggage carriage had arrived last night.
The door of the carriage opened.
The man who stepped out first looked like a General, his face full of old scars and windburn. But Elias didn't look at him. He looked at the figure who the General was helping down.
Stella stepped onto the cobblestones.
