6
In the halls and gardens of Coracis Dominicus Thrax there was always the sound of music floating through the air, though the musicians themselves were hidden. They played behind meshed fences and gates made of painted twisted iron shaped like abstract vines, flowers and the long legged wetland birds common in the fertile lands of the Empire of Critias. The musicians were never allowed to see or be seen by the Emperor, whom they played for all day, every day.
It was not only the musicians who the Emperor barred from direct access to his private rooms and personal self. Limits were set for everyone who he had direct relations with and those that served him on all levels. For this reason, despite their grand size and elegant décor, their high arching ceilings and vast spacious interiors,
