She sat elevated above the arena on a raised stone platform positioned to the left side of the courtyard. A throne of polished dark wood and silver stood behind her beneath a crimson canopy.
Even from this distance, she was impossible to ignore.
Her long dark-red hair moved gently with the afternoon wind while the deep crimson dress she wore flowed over the throne like spilled wine. Gold jewelry glinted faintly around her neck and wrists, and despite the elegance surrounding her, there was something sharp in the way she carried herself.
Not cold. Just powerful.
Royal guards surrounded the platform at every corner, standing motionless.
And beside her stood two familiar faces. Thornhawk. The same bastard who threw me into the Circle. Even from here, his expression looked just as stern and unpleasant as I remembered.
And beside him sat Yua.
