In The Emperor's Absence Part Three

The scent of burning oil and steel filled the courtyard, mingling with the crisp bite of the night air. 

The torches lining the fortress walls crackled, their flames licking the stone and casting jagged shadows over the ranks of armored knights standing shoulder to shoulder. 

Their breaths misted in the cold, the metallic tang of sweat and iron lingering beneath the sharper notes of oiled leather and damp earth.

Seraphine stood before them, her boots planted firmly on the worn stone, the chill seeping through the thin fabric beneath her armor. 

The distant howl of the wind whispered through the high towers, rattling banners overhead, but all else was silent. 

The knights waited, their grips tightening around the hilts of their swords, the faint creak of leather gloves the only movement among them.

Then, she spoke.

"Knights of the empire! The nobles think they can get away with their actions."