The air in the lower chambers of the royal infirmary was bone-chilling. It didn't matter how high the temperatures soared outside the palace walls. The cold never left this place. It clung to the stone beneath their feet, mixing with the bitter smell of herbs, vinegar, and old linen.
King Alderon stepped up to the heavy slate table in the center of the room. A long, incredibly heavy sigh escaped him, and he roughly pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a few long seconds.
He was tired. He was so incredibly tired. First the Solaric Princess was poisoned right under his nose, throwing the entire imperial banquet into chaos. Now a young maid had turned up dead on palace grounds. It was just one disaster after another. Each piece of bad news reminded him how heavy the crown truly was.
"What exactly happened here?" Alderon demanded, dropping his hand as his sharp gaze cut across the room. "Someone explain it to me!"
