Lyren led them deeper into the castle, with Trafalgar and Rhosyn following a few steps behind. It took several minutes and more turns than Trafalgar cared to count before the polished residential halls gave way to an older part of the castle.
The silver was still there, but it had lost most of its shine, and nobody seemed interested in restoring it. The blue stone was darker too, almost exactly the same shade as Trafalgar's eyes, while the air felt colder despite the temperature barely changing.
Fewer servants crossed these halls. The guards they passed stood in pairs beside heavy doors and barely moved as Lyren went by, which was enough for Trafalgar to understand that this part of the castle wasn't used casually.
Eventually, they reached a wide set of old silver doors.
Lyren stopped before them. "This is the Hall of Still Water. Ithanne handles the formal recognition of observers here, so listen carefully. She doesn't like repeating herself, and I'd rather not have to explain anything twice afterward."
"Good to know," Trafalgar said. "You really know how to make a place sound welcoming."
Lyren gave him a brief look. "You'll be fine. Just don't argue with her over wording unless you're sure you want the answer."
He pushed the doors open and led them inside.
The hall was large and completely circular, with a high ceiling supported by old stone columns. In the centre sat a perfectly round pool of dark water, though thick transparent crystal covered the entire surface, allowing anyone to walk over it safely.
The room looked ancient compared to the rest of the castle. Old silver lined the walls and columns, scratched and dulled by time, and nobody had tried to make it match the polished wealth upstairs.
There were more people waiting than Trafalgar expected.
Four ordinary members of House Myrrhvale stood along one side as witnesses. Two official scribes sat behind a narrow table with documents already prepared, while another man in expensive ceremonial clothing stood near the far wall.
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