[@ineffable]
Consider how Isabella would react in this situation. Her father the King has made motions to arrest her. Her half-sister is Void-possessed and probably dead. The King was just summoning something, the Reaper supposedly. He allegedly tried to help her sister. If she really loved her sister, she might either explode in anger at someone or break down crying. I could see her reminiscing about their time together. Or, she might put her magic skills to work, whether to finish the summoning, cure her sister, or maybe throw someone around the room. How Isabella reacts depends on how she interprets the information received.

Or you could take a break from the palace and play with some NPCs for a bit to set up a linking event, like a servant dodging guards to deliver an urgent message. I'd toyed with that idea for a while.

You've got some possibilities. ^_^