'Reputation!' Lucian thought with a scowl, that was all that mattered in this place, it's what he grew up hearing from that wretched woman who gave birth to him, and now he was seeing first hand that it was the same here, all that mattered to the council to the empresses to everyone was their reputation in the public.
It made him feel sick to his stomach.
As he pressed his hand against his stomach he suddenly felt something inside his cloak, and he remembered the scroll that he had been given by Lord Otto to give to Lord Alastor.
Reaching into his cloak he pulled out the furled-up scroll and handed it to Lord Alastor, "Lord Otto asked me to give this to you," he said.
Alastor took it out and pressed a ring on his hand to the seal, immediately the seal crumbled, and the scroll rolled open.