Outside, the palace stirred awake. Vendors arranged trays of candied figs that glistened deliciously in the sun. Children darted between the marble pillars, and young dragons in their civilian forms traded gossip that rumbled softly through the courtyard. Women in thin, jeweled veils paused to watch Bemrylcad pass; even a young page tried to smooth his hair, as if neatness might earn him a glance.

The court adored spectacle and Bemrylcad, whether he intended to or not, provided it.

At the ...