By the middle of November, the palace had developed the strange rhythm of a household preparing to change emperors while simultaneously pretending daily life remained normal.
The transition itself would take close to a year.
If the gods were merciful.
Dean had started using that qualification every time someone showed him another schedule.
Otto had no intention of abandoning the throne overnight, and neither Arion nor the council wanted that. Authority would move gradually, ministry by ministry and responsibility by responsibility, until Arion was already functioning almost entirely as emperor before the formal transfer happened.
The first visible consequence was considerably less ceremonial.
They had to move.
Arion's current residence had been designed for the crown prince and his family. Comfortable, heavily secured, large enough for Theo, staff, security, and the increasingly unreasonable number of animals attached to them.
It was not the imperial household.
