"So tell me what exactly happened."
The words were calm, almost conversational, yet they carried a weight that pressed against the air. Even the wind seemed to quiet down as they were spoken.
To the side, the group had been separated with deliberate precision, each member surrounded by two or three royal guards in polished armor. The sunlight caught on their breastplates, scattering sharp glints across the trampled earth.
Questions came one after another, layered carefully, circling back in subtle ways meant to catch contradictions. Fortunately, they were not amateurs. Every answer was measured. Every pause calculated.
They spoke with the steady rhythm of those who had agreed on a story long before the interrogation began.
Still, some things refused to be buried.
