The royal family stood lined up under the covered entrance of the palace. The honor guard and soldiers stood in formation on both sides of the main path leading to the palace entrance, exposed to the rain. Behind them were the knights and the families of the deceased. Naturally, only nobles were allowed here; commoners were not permitted inside the palace grounds.
They stood completely still despite being soaked by the rain. A presence could be felt approaching from afar — something massive wrapped in negative emotions. It was surely the collective aura emanating from the crown prince's corpse, the bodies of the soldiers who died with him, and the knights who had carried them back. Perhaps the souls of the dead were traveling along with them.
