A different problem developed farther away in the Desert Kingdom. News reached Bastos through Imperial merchants before official correspondence confirmed it.
The King was dead
His death involved no grand assassination, invasion, or battlefield. He had simply died, which would have created political instability even under ordinary circumstances. The greater problem was his heir, who was only eight years old and far too young to rule.
Authority passed into the hands of the Queen as regent. Ludwig had met her before, and that made the situation infinitely worse.
The Queen was Lust, the Lustful Death and another Usurper.
Ludwig sat with his fingers pressed against his forehead while Celine read through the correspondence. "Let me make sure I understand this correctly. She now controls the entire kingdom, including its armies, treasury, and nobility."
