Meeting the Saintess

The sun dipped below the horizon as the golden rays of dusk ignited the ever-looming spires of the Imperial Palace, casting long shadows upon the marble courtyard. It had been but a day since the chaos of the attempted assassination that had sent ripples through the heart of the empire. Though the immediate threat had been quelled, an unsettling tension remained, snaking its way through the hallways and echoing in the chambers of power.

Emperor James Alexander von Nova stood at the balcony of his private chamber, gazing toward the horizon where clouds rolled in a tumultuous dance, mirroring the storm of worry that brewed within his heart. The threat against Laria felt ever-present; there was a vulnerability now that lay bare between them, an understanding that risked spinning into fear.