10 days had passed since Grim had met with the Empress.
The Imperial Grand Ball was the social event of the season. Every noble house of significance attended. Ministers, generals, foreign dignitaries, and merchant princes all gathered in the palace's great ballroom to see and be seen.
And this could not come at a better time. War was soon to unfold and a well timed ball was good for the soul.
Grim stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the elaborate spectacle unfold. Men in silk and velvet discussed politics over wine that cost more than most soldiers earned in a year.
Women in jeweled gowns maneuvered through conversations that could make or break political careers.
All of it felt like theater. Pretty costumes and rehearsed lines performed by people who had never felt real consequences for their actions.
That was about to change.
