[Imperial Palace—Throne Hall]
The marble halls of the Imperial Palace were silent, heavy with expectation. Outside, the banners of the Sun Empire flapped in the wind, but within, only hushed whispers dared ripple through the gathered nobility.
On the dais, Emperor Adrien sat with an iron-straight back, his crown gleaming beneath the morning light. His eyes—sharp and unyielding—tracked the line of armored knights that entered, dragging prisoners behind them.
"Bring them forward," Adrien commanded, his voice cold.
Chains rattled as the man was forced to his knees—a middle-aged noble with sharp features and disheveled hair, yet bearing the same proud bone structure as the Emperor himself. His uncle.
And beside him… a woman clutching a child to her chest. The boy could not have been more than six.
Gasps erupted through the chamber.
