‘Shadowthrone, what are advocates?’ ‘A profession devoted to the subversion of laws for profit,’ he replied, his cane inexplicably tapping as he shuffled back into the woods. ‘When I was Emperor, I considered butchering them all.’ ‘So why didn’t you?’ she asked as he began to fade into a miasma of gloom beneath the trees. Faintly came the reply, ‘The Royal Advocate said it’d be a terrible mistake.’
