Chapter 19 The Council's Gambit

• The council hall was vast, its high vaulted ceiling arching above them like the wings of a great bird ready to take flight. Long rows of stone pillars lined the hall, each one carved with intricate symbols of Elandor’s ancient history. At the far end of the hall, a raised dais held the throne of the kingdom, an imposing structure that now seemed to echo with the absence of its former ruler.
• As Ariella and her companions entered, the murmur of voices among the gathered nobles and officials died down. All eyes turned toward them, some filled with curiosity, others with suspicion, and a few with barely concealed disdain. The atmosphere was charged with tension, like the calm before a storm.
• At the head of the council, seated on a large chair of dark oak, was Lord Varek, the council’s leader and a man of imposing presence. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his eyes, sharp as daggers, seemed to appraise Ariella as though she were little more than a curiosity. His reputation was one of cunning and pragmatism—qualities that could either aid or hinder her depending on how well she played the game.