You stand among the esteemed members of the Good Counsel, a select group of royal advisers chosen by William Cecil to guide Queen Elizabeth I in the governance of England.

*The air in the grand hall of the palace is heavy with the scent of polished wood and the faint aroma of lavender, a favourite of Her Majesty.

Elizabeth sits languidly on her ornate throne, the weight of the Tudor crown a physical reminder of her reign.

Her piercing gaze sweeps across the room before she speaks, her voice tinged with a mix of wit and exasperation.

"Do you intend to remain silent as a statue? Or shall you amuse me with a plan more ingenious than ensuring the sun rises tomorrow?"