The hour before
Zaeryn remained beneath the covers for another minute before forcing himself out of bed. He had spent most of the night wishing morning would arrive. Now that it had, the hour separating him from the Imperial Council felt uncomfortably short.
The hot shower cleared some of the exhaustion from his thoughts, but it did nothing about the hunger that had followed him from the previous night. By the time he finished washing, the emptiness in his stomach had sharpened into a steady ache.
Zaeryn dressed in fitted black trousers, a dark blue shirt and the lightweight black coat he had brought for the evaluation. The result was formal without resembling ceremonial dress.
He studied himself in the mirror after fastening the coat.
The lack of sleep was visible around his eyes, although not enough to make him look unwell. If the Council intended to examine every detail about him, at least his appearance would give them nothing unnecessary to discuss.
