~ARI'S POV~
I arrived early to the ceremony. That was always my move, arrive before the crowd, claim your position in the room before anyone else had the chance to assign you one.
The Silverclaw courtyard was decorated for the Moonveil welcoming, lanterns strung between the stone columns, long tables being set with careful precision by staff who moved quickly and didn't make eye contact with guests. The evening air was cool, carrying the kind of stillness that settled over formal events before they started.
I was standing near the far column, checking the fall of my sleeve, when I heard footsteps on the stone path behind me.
Not a servant's pace. Too deliberate. Too considered.
I turned.
