After dismissing the girls he watched them disperse down the corridor, each heading toward her own chamber. The weight of recent breakthroughs and the looming shadow of war pressed on all of them, but for a brief moment the atmosphere had felt almost normal. Almost.
He adjusted his cloak and turned in the opposite direction, heading toward the eastern wing where the guest chambers were housed. The Ice Belle remained perched stubbornly around his neck, her legs dangling comfortably over his chest as if she had declared him her personal carriage. Every now and then she leaned forward to nibble the last scraps of the chicken bone, and Lucas could feel the faint chill of her breath near his ear. He did not try to move her. He simply walked.
The palace corridors were quieter than usual. Servants bowed deeply as he passed, their eyes filled with a mix of respect and disbelief. News of the simultaneous breakthroughs had traveled fast.
