The chamber was carved into living coral, walls glowing faintly with bioluminescent algae.
The throne was empty now; their queen had withdrawn to her private sanctum, leaving only her most trusted nobles and generals to speak in hushed tones.
They stood in a circle, voices lowered though they all knew Thalassaria's ears could reach anywhere if she willed it.
The weight of her recent words, her fawning over a human, still hung heavy like a net dragged through the sea.
Lord Kaelthys, an elder general with scars along his scaled jaw, broke the silence first.
"She knew. She knew of the traitor and let him act. She wanted the humans to hear of us, to see our hand in the Shivering Sea. This is not strategy, it is obsession."
A ripple of unease spread among the gathered nobles.
Lady Seralyth, high priestess of the Abyssal rites, folded her arms, the glow of her leylines dimmed in agitation.
