The empress turned without another word, her robes trailing like a river of light as she made her way out of the hall. The atmosphere shifted instantly; when the empress left, her presence seemed to leave a hollow behind...one that no one dared fill.
The counselor quickly gathered his scrolls and followed after her, he hurried but his face dark with displeasure. Just before he disappeared through the doorway, he stopped and turned slightly toward Lucas. His eyes, sharp and cold, lingered for a moment. It was not the look of a man simply angered by insolence...it was something deeper, the gaze of someone who felt undermined in his own domain. The counselor's lips tightened, and without a word, he turned away and followed the empress out of sight.
