A steward stepped to the side of the upper marble landing, mic clipped discreetly to his collar, voice smooth but unmistakably formal as it echoed through the ballroom.
"Their Royal Highness, Crown Prince Sirius Alaric of the Palatine Empire."
The room stilled at the announcement, every noble already calculating how they could reach for a 'beneficial' discussion about the empire.
Sirius descended the steps slowly, like he had all day, unaccompanied. His tailored black coat was embroidered with the silver imperial crest at his collar and the faint glint of heritage embroidery was worked into the inner lining of his coat, barely visible unless you knew where to look.
He moved like someone who had been trained since birth to walk through rooms built to test him. Like someone who knew the weight of the Empire would never leave his spine.
