Hadriam chose the Courtyard of Statues.
Not because he was willing to lose it, but because it was the only space within the imperial complex that combined three useful characteristics: it was far from the residential wings, had foundations independent from the rest of the palace, and, above all, was large enough to contain a tower without forcing it to pass through bedrooms, halls, or dozens of people in order to exist.
The statues were removed.
The gardens were emptied.
The nearby passages were closed, and the staff were sent to the upper levels. In less than an hour, what was normally an ornamental square filled with fountains and monuments to former emperors had become a containment field.
Kael watched everything from the balcony.
"You really do not mind losing this?"
Hadriam stood beside him.
"One of the statues was of my great-grandfather."
"And?"
"I hated that statue."
"Then we are doing you a favor."
Hadriam looked toward the courtyard.
