[Thalryn Empire — Capital of Thalryn — Noble Quarter — Morning]
Morning spread slowly across the capital of Thalryn.
The sky above the northern city remained pale and cold, the sun hidden behind a veil of thin clouds while frost still clung to the rooftops of stone houses. Smoke rose from chimneys in slow grey lines, and the streets had already begun to fill with merchants, guards, and servants carrying news from one end of the city to the other.
And today, there was only one name being whispered.
Levin Veyrhold.
Inside the noble quarter, a large hall of polished stone stood open for the morning gathering of lords and court officials. Braziers burned along the walls, and long tables were set with warm wine and bread as nobles spoke in low voices, their cloaks lined with fur against the cold.
Near the tall windows, two lords stood speaking quietly.
"So it is true?" one of them asked, lowering his voice. "The heir of Veyrhold has returned?"
The other nodded slowly. "Yes."
