Battlefield

With a little coaxing from the servants, Aurora was ready for dinner. She changed into a sickly greenish-yellow gown that paled her skin, but the cloth itself was very fine. The Empress wondered if Princess Calla had selected the gown to make her look ill. The she-elf had hand delivered the garment.

"I will have to watch out for that lady," the Empress mumbled. She took one last look in the mirror and sighed. Aurora would have to put away her vanity for the sake of her Empire. It was a small price.

Gandr and Alvar had not yet returned, making Aurora slightly anxious. She hoped they were simply gathering all the information before bringing it to her. She looked down the hall for them one last time before resigning herself to dinner without back up. Ithel might try to defend her if tempers rose, but that seemed like a dangerous option. Aurora would fend for herself.

The Empress had not had the pleasure of eating in the banquet hall previously. It was in the same style as the rest of the