His silken cape trailed behind him, sweeping through the soot and ash. Ministers had begged, guards had pleaded, for none dared to let their liege wander unescorted in the aftermath of such carnage. Maybe hidden threats lingered even now.
But Alexios had silenced them with one raised hand. A king who could not face his kingdom's scars had no right to bear the weight of the crown. Hiding in ignorance was not an option. And if there were traps laid for him… Then so be it. He was ready to face any challenge.
The echo of his boots was the only sound.
Each step pressed heavier than the last. He was a man who had worn the crown for nearly a thousand years, a monarch who had led countless wars to victory. And yet here, in the very heart of his empire, he had failed.
While it was true that the city was ginormous and the attacks only impacted a small part of it, but that did not lighten the weight of shame on Alexios's shoulder. Failure was failure.
