The gold edge of the frame glimmered faintly in the morning light, reflecting the silver hue of his brooch. The face in the mirror neither appeared overly solemn nor bore any hint of panic.
Today was his routine day to visit Buckingham Palace to see Victoria. Arthur could act casually in front of friends, but within the dignified confines of Buckingham Palace, even given his close relationship with Victoria, he needed to maintain the most presentable appearance possible.
Behind him, Blackwell held a stack of updates from various sources on the current state of affairs at Buckingham Palace. He carefully selected what he deemed the most important and reported the latest intelligence to Arthur: "Sir, this list was specially delivered this morning by Mr. Auguste Schneider. I think you ought to know about the personnel changes in the Russian delegation for the coronation ceremony."
