The king appeared two days after the burial. Not with ceremony, not with warning, and certainly not with grace. The doors to our quarters burst open with a force that rattled the stone walls, and every conversation died mid-breath. The air itself seemed to stiffen, as if the castle recognized the weight of the man who had just entered.
The King stood in the doorway in his gold regalia and long furred cape, that striking facw similar to Aiden's carrying a much more heavy demeanor, his presence filled the room before his voice ever did. His eyes were furious—red-rimmed, hollow, burning with something deeper than anger. Grief. It was said he had only just been informed of the death of one of his sons. Delays in royal channels. Messengers lost. Or maybe someone was probably stalling it .. nobody knew. Confusion after the chaos of the Voidbinder's attacks. Excuses that did nothing to soften the truth. A father had learned too late.
