Julian was cuffed this time and not bound with coarse ropes. And then, they were led down from the isolation tower to the Great Hall of the Sanctum. The space had been stripped of its imperial warmth; the vibrant gold and crimson tapestries of Viremount were pushed into the shadows, replaced by the stark, sterile white of the Holy delegation.
Aurelian was there, seated on a temporary throne of cold marble, his face filled with indifference as he watched from behind a fresh veil of silk. The Council of Nobles sat in the tiered benches like ghosts, their faces pale with a mixture of awe and morbid curiosity.
In the center of the hall stood the object Julian had seen from the window. The white shroud was pulled away, revealing the Mirror of True Purity.
