After some time, the important members of the Phoenix royal family gathered in the throne hall. With the exception of Serestia, who was still away at the Imperial Academy, almost everyone had arrived.
Emperor Alexander sat at the head of the hall, with the Empress and the two queen consorts nearby. The Crown Prince, Darius Phoenix, was present alongside Magnus Phoenix, Kaelan, and the Fourth Prince, Gerrad Phoenix. The Emperor's younger brother had also arrived with his wife and their twin children, a seventeen-year-old daughter and son.
Since they had gathered before the Emperor's guests arrived, the royal family had split into smaller groups, with the women talking among themselves while the men discussed matters of their own.
