"I will take my leave now."
The old royal rose slowly from his seat, joints creaking beneath layers of ceremonial silk, his expression carved from something far colder than courtesy. He did not wait for permission. He simply turned and walked out of Captain Vincent's office as though the room itself were beneath him.
The heavy doors shut with a muted thud.
Clearly, he had no intention of divulging any real information to the royal guards.
After all, the royal guard was a force, not a family. And in a kingdom like this, forces fractured easily. Even men in the same uniform could kneel to entirely different masters once the armor came off.
Vincent in particular was an enigma.
