The palace was no longer a home; it was a theater.
Every hallway was a flurry of activity, together with the thumping of heavy crates and the commands of stewards.
In this controlled chaos, Mina oversaw everything.
She oversaw the arrival of the remaining Veyrath generals under their rule, moving through the ballroom like a storm front.
When she finally encountered Cassian in the high gallery, the air seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Your Majesty," she spat, her voice filled with venom. She performed a bow that was technically perfect but felt like an act of war. "I must offer my congratulations. The marriage alliance with Stella is... a masterstroke. Truly. All we need now is a coffin! I mean confetti!"
She threw daggers at him with her eyes, her gaze fixed on him with a naked, vibrating intensity that suggested she wanted to beat the logic out of him right there on the marble floors.
