The Western Gate did not look like the rest of the Southern Palace.
Mina stood on the lower catwalk, her arms resting on the stone parapet as she watched a wagon of iron rebar roll through the checkpoint. She had been on the wall since the second bell.
The traditionalist lords had spent the morning debating the exact arrangement of the ceremonial standard-bearers, completely unaware that forty Merrow frontier veterans had quietly replaced the royal garrison regulars along the perimeter line.
When Elias and Nico reached the base of the tower, Mina didn't descend to meet them. She simply gestured toward the western valley below.
"Look, the Northern scouts aren't patrolling their side of the ravine anymore," Mina said down to him, her voice carrying clearly through the crisp air. "They've pulled back three leagues. They're clustering around the primary resonance relays in the wastes."
