"Please come in, Your Grace. His Majesty is waiting for you," the aide said softly, gesturing toward the open doorway.
Zarius gave a single, tight nod and stepped past him into the study.
Behind Zarius, the grand entrance doors settled into their frames with a dull, final thud that instantly swallowed the lingering noise of the palace hallway. The sudden cut in sound left the vast room feeling completely removed from the rest of the castle, wrapped in a dense, expectant quiet.
Zarius stood in the center of the spacious room, taking in the grand, high-ceilinged space. Tall arched windows offered a sweeping view of the capital city below, while walls of polished mahogany were lined with thousands of leather-bound ledgers and historical texts.
