The great dining chamber of Aurora Palace was a marvel of pale marble and sun-lit glass. Even at midday its vaulted ceiling shimmered with enchanted constellations, the same symbols that marked the Emperor's lineage. Long tables ran the length of the hall, stacked with fresh bread, roasted pheasant, steaming bowls of broth and trays of glistening fruit. Normally Shellia would have sat among them, laughing softly as she filled the plates of her companions, but now there was a deliberate empty seat at the head of their cluster.
Veyra, the skeletal knight, sat unnaturally straight, gauntleted fingers folded in her lap instead of reaching for food. "Eat," she murmured to no one in particular, the blue flames of her eyes flickering. "We've been given permission to rest, and the Emperor's staff is… generous."
Kaelin, the half-fox warrior, twitched one ear as she reached for a sweet roll. "Generous, sure, but it feels strange without her. Shellia never skips meals with us."
