The rest of the evidence arrived three days later, delivered to the King's council chamber in a sealed case that the court clerk handled with visible unease, as though the contents themselves might be dangerous.
Yuan had spent those three days in a strange, suspended limbo, confined largely to his own chambers under guard, his only real company Lei's brief, tense visits and Han's careful, patient training sessions, which had become the one part of each day that still felt like it belonged to him rather than to whatever verdict the court was slowly building against him. He'd tried, more than once, to distract himself with the ember Han had taught him to find, and more than once had simply sat there, unable to focus past the low, constant hum of dread sitting beneath every thought.
