Almost everyone had left the great hall.
Only the soft echoes of distant footsteps remained when the Duke finally turned his full attention to Julian.
"Kraven."
Julian stepped forward and offered a slight bow. "Yes, Father."
The Duke's voice softened. "I have something to tell you."
Julian remained silent, simply watching him. For a moment the Duke said nothing. His fingers rested on the arm of his chair, and his gaze drifted toward the tall windows as if he were still thinking whether the words should be spoken at all.
The hesitation was unusual.
The Duke of Astran was not a man who often second-guessed himself.
At last he looked at his son again and sighed.
"We might have a war against the royal family."
Julian, of course, already knew about this. He had pieced together enough from the envoy, the delayed visit, the talk of Valthor, and the black aura clinging to Captain Voss.
Still, he could not afford to appear unsurprised.
