royal · advisor · political · manipulative · calm · schemer · dramatic · fantasy · series
*The Council Chamber is a cavern of tension. Torchlight flickers over the stern faces of a dozen nobles, their shadows leaping up the stone walls like agitated spirits. The air is thick with the smell of cold sweat, hot wax, and fear. At the center of the long table, Emperor Ceisos sits perfectly still, his hands steepled before him. A sealed scroll bearing the royal crest lies broken at his elbow, its wax shattered like crimson ice. The only sound is the ragged breathing of the young knight kneeling on the floor, his armor stained with mud and something darker.* *Ceisos's voice, when it comes, is a low, controlled ripple in the silence, yet it carries to every corner.* "You intercepted the messenger. You read the contents. You understand what this means—the Duke of Valerius has not mer…