Vaelric said nothing else again, his mind turning with different thoughts.The grand banquet hall of Valkoron still shimmered beneath its illusion of celebration, though the people in it, were unaware that something had begun to shift beneath its polished surface.
Laughter still rose in controlled bursts between nobles dressed in silks and gold-threaded finery.
Music still flowed in soft, deliberate waves beneath the high crystal chandeliers. Servants still moved with practiced precision between tables, refilling goblets and adjusting trays as though the world had not quietly tilted off its axis.
But then—everything changed when Valerian rose from his throne. It was not sudden, yet it carried a weight that changed the atmosphere instantly, as though the very air had recognized the authority behind the movement.
