Now in the royal gardens, in one of the many secondary palaces of the royal blood.
The chamber was built into the cliffside, half-submerged beneath the western straits. Cool light filtered through kelp-framed glass, and the ever-moving sea beyond threw shifting patterns across polished black coral floors. Aquatic vines twisted from the ceiling, their growth regulated by rune, but wild enough to cast shadows.
Prince Thalhazel stood near the far end of the submerged gallery, where the palace's viewing wall curved into the sea like a lens on the kingdom's edge. The water beyond moved slowly, thick with refracted light and the drifting silhouettes of fish that knew better than to come close. His hands were resting behind his back, posture poised yet distant, eyes half-focused on the swell and lull beyond the glass.
Footsteps clicked faintly along the coral-tiled floor.
