Chapter Eleven
The Queen Without a Crown
The Council Chamber was never truly quiet.
Even before sunrise, Alphas and Betas moved through the circular corridors surrounding the Grand Assembly Hall. Advisors carried tablets loaded with trade proposals while servants hurried past balancing silver trays laden with coffee and breakfast pastries. The smell of polished cedar and old parchment lingered beneath vaulted stone ceilings that had witnessed nearly four hundred years of history.
Inside the chamber, the rulers of the continent debated borders, commerce, and security.
Outside...
Alpha Celeste Ashbourne watched through one of the tall windows with a thoughtful expression.
"You've been distracted."
Theo's voice was calm as he stepped beside her.
"I have."
She didn't deny it.
"The g
