The Room of Mirrors was the most resplendent of the dozens of salons that illuminated the Imperial Palace day and night. Only the most powerful nobles residing within its walls had access to this magnificent space.
Its cream-colored doors, gilded in gold up to the doorposts, swung open in a grand arc. Marius, dressed in a crimson uniform, entered with a pair of young attendants. A chandelier—dazzling, like an inverted fir tree sculpted from crystal—scattered shimmering light over them as they crossed the threshold. The Prince offered a curt nod to the bowing nobles and strode past them with the air of a man with purpose.
Liliette and Ingrid sat at a balcony table. As he approached, all the ladies—save Ingrid—rose to their feet. Liliette, the highest in rank among them, curtsied gracefully on their behalf.
“Have you been well, Your Highness?” she asked.
