Meanwhile...
The ceremony had concluded with all the gravitas and spectacle that centuries of tradition demanded. The fused Star-Shard sat in its place of honor, guards positioned around it with the solemnity of those protecting sacred relics, priests still murmuring prayers that would continue until the wedding itself transformed potential into reality.
But the formal ritual had ended, and what remained was celebration, the kind of cautious festivity that came when nobles gathered in cold places and tried to pretend they were having a wonderful time despite frozen extremities and the general discomfort of being anywhere that wasn't their warm chambers.
Servants moved through the crowd with refreshments, offering warming drinks laced with spices and alcohol, small foods designed to be eaten while standing, everything portable and practical because tables weren't an option at this elevation and temperature.
