By now the news of Emperor Charles the Bald's death had spread through the palace of Compiègne like a poison wind. Indeed the great halls that had once echoed with the laughter of feasts now rang only with the hushed footsteps of servants carrying black drapes and the murmur of councillors who already sensed the storm about to break.
Apparently the old emperor had drawn his last breath in the night, leaving behind a realm that was more fragile than any of his courtiers had dared admit.
In the private solar reserved for the royal family, the older prince Louis stood at the head of the long table. His mother, the Dowager Empress, sat to his right.
To his left sat his younger brothers and sisters... Charles the Younger, Carloman, and the princesses Rotrude and Gisela.
