Their grandfather had died alongside my grandparents.
For a brief instant, I said nothing.
The Lawburn name was not one I had forgotten. A loyal house, not among the grandest in Helios, perhaps, but one whose service to the Crown had never once wavered. To escort my grandparents to Radhamantia had not been some minor duty. It had been a position of trust, one given only to those considered dependable enough to stand close to the royal bloodline itself.
And he had died fulfilling it.
My gaze lingered on the two siblings before me. That alone told me more than enough about why Arges had selected them. Men like him did not choose randomly, and he certainly did not place just anyone at my side during a journey like this.
"You have my condolences," I said at last, my voice quieter than before. "Your grandfather died in service to the Crown. Helios has not forgotten that."
Neither of them replied immediately, though I noticed Mia's expression tighten just slightly.
