The air in the throne room of Sepal was cool and smelled of damp earth, pine needles, and something else... something wild and ancient. It was a scent entirely alien to the perfumed, sun-warmed stone of Ariana's own castle in Agira. Great pillars of living, twisting wood formed the hall, their bark still intact, their branches woven together high overhead to create a canopy through which dappled green light filtered. Ariana's pulse hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She walked forward, each step on the soft, moss-covered flagstones feeling heavy and deliberate. She fought the urge to fidget with the sleeves of her gown, painfully conscious of the way the emerald velvet hugged her hips and bosom. Finally, she saw him. Seated upon a throne of a massive, petrified stump, King You. He was younger than she had expected. His power was not in trappings, but in the palpable, quiet intensity that seemed to emanate from him. She came to a halt at the base of the dais and dipped into a deep, formal curtsy. When she rose, her blue eyes met his unreadable grey ones. "It is a pleasure to meet you, King You." Her voice was clear and steady, betraying none of the turmoil within.