Hajin watched the entrance from beside the column while the guards carved a lane for the three arriving delegations.
The orchestra kept playing, though the strings went soft under the pressure that rolled through the doorway ahead of everyone. Three crests advanced side by side, giving the room time to recognize each one before deciding whom to greet first.
"The three pillars," Didi murmured, straightening beside him, "all under one roof, and apparently sharing the same idea of punctuality."
He glanced at her hands and found the earlier amusement gone from the way they pressed flat against her dress.
"Friends, or just people who found a shared reason to hate somebody else?" he asked, watching the nearest courtiers shuffle into new positions.
She shot him a look that agreed with something, without deciding which half of the question earned it.
