His gaze drifted further. Four of the Twelve Generals were present, standing in ceremonial formation just behind the Legates. Each carried themselves with a soldier's steadiness, yet even in stillness, there was a sharpness to them, a readiness that suggested battle could erupt at a word.
And then, beyond them all, he saw him.
The emperor.
Aurex Draventh the Ninth. The Everlight Sovereign.
His hair was golden, though streaked faintly with silver at the temples, his beard trimmed with regal precision. He looked no older than his fifties, yet the weight of centuries seemed to rest in the calm of his blue eyes. He sat upon the throne as though it had been carved for him alone, his presence steady and unquestioned.
'So this is the man who has ruled for over a thousand years…'
