[Silthara Palace — The Emperor's Chamber — The Next Morning]
Morning returned slowly to Silthara Palace.
The desert sun rose beyond the golden towers, and its first light slipped gently through the carved lattice windows of the Emperor's chamber. Thin ribbons of gold stretched across the marble floor and climbed the silk curtains like wandering rays of fire.
The palace itself had not fully awakened yet.
Servants moved quietly through distant corridors, and the gardens below the balcony stirred beneath the early wind of the desert.
Inside the imperial chamber, Levin stirred. The silken sheets shifted softly as he slowly opened his eyes, but the moment consciousness returned, a faint discomfort followed.
A dull throbbing pulsed behind his temples.
"…Mm."
His brow furrowed slightly, for a moment he remained still, waiting for the sensation to fade, but instead he became aware of something else.
Warmth.
Weight.
Resting across his stomach.
