The statue of Goddess Ambernia, the Goddess
worshipped by the Star and Sun clan, stood in
 front of the palace. The sculpture glowed
 faintly, emanating both heat and gentle light,
 as though the goddess herself resided within.
 It was rumoured that the statue wasn't just
 imbued with star magic but also had the
magical artifacts of the star clan within it
hence radiating heat and light. 

The yellow roses all around the path and the
 palace added more elegance to the palace's 
appearance. Despite the absence of an heir,
 the palace grounds were pristine, maintained
 as if awaiting the return of royalty.

Vion and Silverthorn got off the carriage and
 started moving towards the palace.

The palace stood tall and wide. The palace itself
rose in gleaming layers of white and gold—white
for the peace the empire enforced, even if by
force, and gold for the ruling Sun Clan, whose
crest shimmered on the tallest spire. The palace
seemed less like a building and more like a
declaration—bold, unyielding, eternal.

The staircase of marble inlaid with veins of
gold to show off the wealth of the empire
to any visitor who'd come from other empires.

Ahead was a vast corridor, stretching left to right,
 wide enough for two carriages to pass side by
side at once.

At its heart stood the grand gate—already open—
with the large sigil of Star clan in the center and
the smaller crests of the other three clans
surrounding it—a silent hierarchy carved in
metal and pride.

As they entered the palace, the servants stood
in line and bowed to them.

Vion dismissed them and continued moving
forward.

The main hall opened up like a sacred temple of
 power—vast, echoing, and lit by a colossal crystal
chandelier suspended from the ceiling. 
When sunlight passed through it, fragments
of colored light scattered like falling stars
across the white-and-gold marble floor.

Tall pillars, carved with celestial patterns, lined
the walls on either side of the hall. Each one
bore symbols of the four great clans, glowing
faintly in their corresponding colors—silver for
Moon, gold for Sun, deep green for Earth, and
luminous white for the so-called Star Clan. 

At the far end of the hall, a raised platform
housed the imperial throne. Or rather,
thrones—four intricately carved seats, though
only one sat slightly above the others: the Star
Clan throne. The Moon, Earth, and Sun Clan
thrones flanked it in a lower row, symbolizing
unity under the ruling bloodline… and yet
reminding all who entered who stood above.

The whole palace seemed to be as lively as ever.
If someone unaware of the current affairs visited
the palace, they'd never suspect that there was
no ruler alive, living in the palace at the moment.

Vion ascended the stairs and guided Silverthorn
to the library, completely unaware of the fact
that Silverthorn knew the palace better than
anyone else. She had been there on missions
and to collect intel in disguise so many times
that she had now lost count.

The smell of burning wood filled the
atmosphere as they reached the first floor.

They kept on walking till they finally reached
the library. Vion found the library already
open which it wasn't supposed to be.

He stopped a servant passing by and asked,
"Is someone in there? Who dared to open the
library?" in a rather frantic manner.

"Sire, Duke Fenris came today morning,
when we stopped him, he called the head
butler and showed him some paper after which-"

"Oh! It's him? You can go now."

He ran into the library in search of Fenris,
leaving Silverthorn slightly shocked by
his sudden behaviour.

Silverthorn shook her head and entered the
 library. The Imperial Library was not just
a collection of books—it was the empire’s
memory, buried in ink, dust, and silence. 
Towering shelves, carved from blackwood
and lined with gold detailing, rose up
toward vaulted ceilings. Floating lanterns
of soft starfire hovered above, casting a
warm yet mystical glow over the endless
rows of scrolls, and forbidden manuscripts.

Although she needed the books, collecting
intel was also her job. She followed the noise.

As she reached the section of History
of Ashreka, she found Vion and someone
familiar there.

It's that man from that night! So he was Duke
Fenris? It means he's surely going to bother
me and my work. But I better give him regards
as he's someone I need to maintain neutral
relationship with... for now at least.

As soon as her eyes met his, she bowed.

"Greetings to Duke Fenris Sunfire. I am
honoured to meet you."