Chapter 144: Hall of Grace
Cassian stood when the servant gestured, brushing a hand down the front of his tunic to smooth the fabric, even though it had already been perfectly arranged. There was no real choice here—not for someone like him.
He was deep in their territory now, a guest in name, but a captive in truth. Whatever freedom he had was only what they allowed him to keep.
His steps fell into rhythm behind the servant’s quiet stride. The man’s back remained straight, his posture elegant but unassuming, like someone trained to never cast a shadow larger than the one who owned him.
Cassian followed, uncertain and quiet, the silk of his trousers brushing against his ankles with each step. The hall they walked down was unfamiliar, its ceilings high and vaulted, casting long shadows on the marble floors.
They were heading somewhere new.
The silence of the wing he’d woken in was gone, replaced by signs of life. He heard the soft pad of slippers against stone, the distant echo of laughter muffled behind shut doors, the rustle of heavy robes or the flutter of wings passing out of sight. A quiet kind of chaos, choreographed and restrained.
Light streamed in through the tall windows, golden and pale, stretching across the corridor in wide beams. The brightness of it clashed with the unease tightening in his chest.
Eventually, they passed beneath a wide arch carved with symbols he couldn’t read. The air felt different on the other side—cooler, older, like it remembered things long forgotten. The space they stepped into was not just another hallway. It was a different part of the palace entirely.
Cassian stopped walking.
"This isn’t the same wing," he said quietly, his voice carrying only a hint of question, though his heart beat with more.
The servant turned and offered a respectful bow. "No, my grace. That state was bestowed on you by Supreme Lord himself. Each chosen guest is given a private residence for their comfort."
He blinked, trying to process the weight of that sentence. "You mean... each guest has their own estate?"