The Sovereign's Masquerade

The tradition of the *Obsidian Masquerade* dated back to the mid-nineteenth century, when the Vance merchant admirals first established their sovereign domain over the deep-water shipping lanes of the southern Aegean. Once every three winters, the gates of the impenetrable fortress were unlocked for a single night, transforming the basalt citadel into the most exclusive, decadent salon on the European continent. To receive an invitation stamped with the silver hawk…