They headed down the grand staircase, out the door where a carriage awaited them
The carriage rattled over the cobblestones of the palace inner sanctum, the air inside thick with a tension that felt almost physical. Alistair leaned toward Asarmose, his eyes narrowed as they approached the towering oak doors of the High Court.
"Stay sharp," Alistair commanded, his voice a low, vibrating warning. "They will disregard every word you speak and dismantle every breath you take. They are looking for a single slip—one mistake—to tear you apart."
