"Why did you bring me here, Lucien?"
Elara's voice was quiet, but the question carried through the vast entrance hall of the Noctis Embassy with enough authority to make the servants standing beside the marble staircase lower their eyes, for they had learned that the Queen of Regina did not need to raise her voice when she wished to be heard.
Lucien Noctis stood several paces before her beneath the enormous crystal chandelier, one hand resting lightly against the silver head of his cane, his expression composed in that infuriatingly elegant manner that made it impossible to tell whether he was amused, concerned, or already several moves ahead of everyone else. Behind him, the tall windows reflected the darkening streets of Regina, where evening lamps were beginning to bloom through the mist, while the ancient black stone of the embassy seemed almost to drink the last grey light from the sky.
