"Why did you ask to see me alone?" Elara's calm voice drifted through the vast silence of Regina Palace's ancient library as she stood beside a towering window overlooking the palace gardens, where the fading light of evening bathed the rose hedges in warm shades of crimson and gold before surrendering them to approaching twilight.
Shelves carved from centuries-old walnut stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, their countless volumes preserving the victories, failures, and forgotten wisdom of rulers long vanished, while the faint fragrance of aged parchment and polished wood wrapped the chamber in quiet dignity that encouraged honest conversation as much as cautious reflection.
