Morning light filled the palace halls, creating long golden stripes on the stone floors. The air was filled with tension, so thick it felt suffocating.
Jasper had already left to dig deeper into the list of names, silently blaming himself for not investigating further when he heard something in the stable the night before.
Meanwhile, Evelina remained at the stables, working tirelessly with the palace healers. Damian stayed with her for a while, watching as she carefully measured out doses of the charcoal mixture and administered them to each horse.
But then, a royal guard approached.
"Your Majesty," the man bowed quickly. "The King is awake. He has been informed of the situation and has summoned you both."
Damian exhaled sharply. Of course, he has.
His father never let a crisis go unattended.
He glanced at Evelina. "You ready?"
