Inside, Azure Peak was colder than the outside wind.
The halls were wide and old, lined with statues worn faceless by time. The children stayed close, their boots echoing over the stone. From hidden alcoves, eyes watched, guards, spies, and worse.
In the Southern Hold, their quarters were spartan but clean. Fireplaces were already lit. Blankets had been laid out. Someone had prepared for their arrival.
Seo Ryung scowled. "This reeks of courtesy."
"It's a cage," Heuk Cheon agreed. "Just a nicely swept one."
Later, as the sun dipped below the icy horizon, the first gathering began.
A massive hall opened at the mountain's heart, its ceiling supported by ancient ribs of stone. Around its edge, each major clan had a dais, their banners unfurled like war calls. The central table was round, an attempt at equality that fooled no one.
Heuk Cheon entered last.
The murmuring stopped the moment he did.
Some recognized him immediately. Others whispered the title instead of his name.
