Once the Amber Heart was securely tucked beneath my shirt, I turned my back on the stone sarcophagus and walked silently from the ancient chamber.
After all, it was exactly what it appeared to be: a desolate, hidden tomb.
A tomb built by Cassian Helios for his monstrous older brother, King Alexander II.
According to the royal archives, the relationship between the two brothers had always been described as cold and fractured. Alexander had never outright physically bullied Cassian, but he had consistently and publicly disrespected him, often loudly proclaiming that his younger brother was weak, pathetic, and entirely unworthy of carrying the sacred blood of Helios.
It certainly had not helped mend their fractured bond that Cassian had repeatedly spoken out against his sovereign brother, openly condemning his ruthless, unprovoked war against the entire continent as despicable and needlessly cruel.
