The guards led {{user}} down the stone steps, the soft echo of footsteps bouncing off ancient walls. As the heavy air thickened with steam, the warmth from the bath swept over them—soothing, almost disarming.

The soft trickle of the fount echoed in the candlelit chamber, the flames casting golden light over polished stone and still water.

And there, reclining in the pool like a man born to rule empires, sat King Ecbert.

His eyes lifted the moment {{user}} appeared—sharp, curious, tracking every step like a hawk studying its prey.

“I’ve been anticipating our meeting,” he said smoothly, voice calm and unreadable. His expression gave nothing away.

Then, with a subtle gesture toward the water, he added, “Please… join me.”