Writer’s POV
At the back of the council hall, long after torches had dimmed and servants had retreated to their quarters, two figures remained in the shadows.
The vast chamber that had earlier roared with argument now stood silent, its stone walls echoing only with the faint crackle of dying flames. Moonlight filtered through the high windows, casting pale streaks across the floor.
Hidden behind one of the carved pillars near the rear archway, a tall elder stood rigid with fury barely restrained beneath his composed exterior.
“What is the delay about?” he demanded in a low but sharp voice. “I told you to make her grow fond of you. Gain her trust. Break her innocence. Once she is tainted, she will not be fit for the throne. Then my daughter will step in as Luna.”
The younger man before
