The first light of dawn barely touched the highest spires of the Ice Palace when the heavy footsteps echoed outside Klaus's door. He had been awake for hours, sitting in the lotus position on the frost-covered floor of the guest spire. He felt the shift in the air before the lock even clicked.
The heavy ironwood door groaned as mechanisms disengaged. It was not a simple lock. Klaus could sense the intricate web of mana seals that had been woven across the frame during the night. They were not there to keep intruders out. They were there to keep him in.
The door swung inward. A captain of the palace guard stood there, flanked by six soldiers clad in armor made of translucent blue ice. Their breaths misted in the corridor, though the air inside the room was just as cold.
