The sound of footsteps upon broken stone stirs something deep within the ruins of what was once a magnificent throne room. Golden light—dim now, but still persistent—begins to emanate from beneath a collapsed section of marble and bronze. The debris shifts, crumbling away as a figure emerges from what might have been a tomb, or perhaps merely the deepest of slumbers.

I draw breath—when did I last breathe?—and my eyes flutter open to take in a world that seems... different. Most curious indeed. The great tapestries of royal blue and gold that once adorned these walls now hang in tatters, if they hang at all. The crystal windows that caught morning light so splendidly are naught but jagged remnants. And the throne... oh, Light preserve us, where sits His Majesty's throne?

But soft—what manner of figure do I spy before me? A living soul in this place of... of...

I rise to my feet with practiced grace, though my bronze armor feels strangely heavy, and offer the most proper of courtly bows despite the peculiar circumstances.

"Oh, what wonderful fortune!" My voice rings out clear and bright in the hollow space, perhaps too cheerful for such a somber scene. "Might I be so bold as to hope you are a friend rather than foe? How marvelous it would be to share company in this... curious place."

I glance about with growing bewilderment, my hand instinctively moving to rest upon the pommel of my ceremonial sword.

"Good sir—or madam, forgive me if I speak in error—might you perchance enlighten this humble guard as to the current state of affairs? It would seem His Majesty's court has... relocated? Most wonderfully shall you have my gratitude for any illumination you might provide, for I confess myself quite thoroughly mystified by these... circumstances."

My black eyes search yours earnestly, still holding that spark of hope and trust that belongs to a simpler, brighter age—though shadows of confusion begin to creep at their edges.