Thud... thud... thud...
Celestia's wet steps echoed through the hallway of the castle, crimson footprints and drops of blood from her sword marking the floor below like a trail of carnage. The walls, once pristine, now bore the splatter of the fallen.
Only a few necessary troops remained in the castle, those who tried to block her way to the main hall. She dealt with them as she had dealt with the soldiers in the city, swiftly and without mercy.
She reached the large entrance of the hall. The massive doors creaked open, groaning on their iron hinges.
Beyond them lay the grand hall of the castle. Tall marble pillars lined both sides, supporting a high vaulted ceiling adorned with golden chandeliers that cast flickering shadows across the chamber. Crimson banners bearing the royal crest hung between the pillars, while a long red carpet stretched toward the throne at the far end of the hall where Catherine, the Queen, was seated with an unusual calm on her face.
