A groan of genuine agony tore from his throat as he stumbled backward, his perfect physique trembling with pain that seemed to radiate from deep within his skull.
The white bedsheet he'd been using to maintain some modesty slipped from his shoulders and pooled at his feet, leaving him completely naked as he doubled over in apparent torment.
"Blood..." he gasped, his voice thick with anguish that made both women freeze in alarm. "Golden blood... everywhere... those traitors..."
Akane's breath caught in her throat as his words painted a scene she knew all too well.
The throne room. The moment of betrayal. Her beloved's final moments as his own brother's blade found its mark.
"The crown..." Tianlong continued, his voice breaking with emotion that seemed to come from the depths of his soul. "It should have been... why did he... brother, why?"
