The Grand Hall of the Imperial Citadel was a sweeping, vaulted cavern of black granite and cold marble, lined with massive stone pillars carved in the likeness of ancient howling wolves.
High iron braziers lined the central aisle, their crackling flames casting harsh, dancing shadows across the polished floor.
I sat on a high, velvet-cushioned seat right beside Robin’s obsidian throne.
I was dressed in a simple yet elegant gown of deep midnight blue, its silver-embroidered sleeves covering the faint, faded scars on my forearms.
My heart hammered against my ribs like a frantic drum, but I forced my chin high, lacing my fingers tightly in my lap to stop them from trembling.
Beside me, Robin looked like a god of war carved from shadow and steel.
He was fully clad in his dark imperial ar
