“Your Eminence, thank you for joining me.” Yulien smiled as he watched the other man stride into the hall they used for negotiations, his eyes studying the empty space before stopping on the Emperor himself. He seemed less cheerful than usual, maybe because there wasn’t such a big audience to entertain.
“How can I refuse an invitation from His Majesty?” Emer asked. The usual smile returned to his face, but as their eyes met, hesitation crept into his. “I’m curious about the reason, though. Has Raena regained consciousness?”
“She has not,” Yulien replied, heading toward his seat at the head of the table. “Please, sit.”
Emer raised an eyebrow, his expression turning intrigued. He sank into his usual chair, his aide remaining on his feet behind him. He must have sensed the difference in Yu
