Merrick's voice carried through the sparsely lit chamber as he stood up to voice his concerns. "Now that it has been settled, that the Duchess will stay in Everton," he began, "It will only be a matter of time before the entire empire discovers her Grace's remarkable ability to cast healing blessings using Serpens' light." The significance of his words lingered in the room, accompanied by the occasional creak of a chair as those gathered shifted uneasily in their seats.
He stared intently at his commander, the sound of wood crackling in the fireplace and the smell of burning firewood filling his nostrils. He asked, "What do you intend to do now? For three long years, the empire has been desperately waiting for a new savior to emerge since the plague swept through these lands."
