Rowenne stomped into the Hall of Valor, her movements swift and sharp. There was an urgency in the way she moved—controlled but fierce.
The Hall of Valor was a grand chamber, its walls lined with deep red curtains that flowed like banners in a breeze that wasn’t there. The polished wooden floor gleamed under the golden light pouring from the stained-glass windows above. Tall, flat-faced pillars rose in pairs from one end of the room to the other, evenly spaced like soldiers at attention.
Each pillar bore the frame of a knight—his name engraved in bronze, his deeds etched below in fine lettering that had dulled with time. Beside each frame stood a full suit of armor, preserved and upright, as though waiting for battle. In front of each was a sword on a low, angled stand—some plain, some o
