The private bedchamber of Princess Astra had always been a sanctuary of opulent, unapologetic luxury. The floors were covered in thick, plush carpets imported directly from the Pearl Kingdom. The high windows were draped in heavy silks, and the air usually smelled of expensive rosewater and sweet, highly refined perfumes. Tonight, however, the luxurious room felt exactly like a heavily gilded tomb.
Astra sat perfectly still on the edge of her massive, four-poster bed. Her breathing was shallow and incredibly rapid. The ambient air in the Amber Palace had grown increasingly foul over the past few hours, completely saturated with the sickening, metallic stench of Zed's necromancy. Even the expensive perfumes scattered across her vanity table could not mask the smell of rotting flesh permeating the stone walls.
