Darkness never truly fell in the royal bedchambers. It was a realm of 'Golden Sorrow', where the throbbing roots of the Mother Tree, buried deep beneath the palace's groundwork, released a rhythmic emerald light through the floorboards, which most people would not even notice.
The tree's roots clearly spread throughout the palace, and Soren realised recently, since his pregnancy, that he had become much more aware of the tree's immense presence in every corner of the kingdom. It had truly dominated almost the entire royal grounds.
Lying within the King's thick velvet bed, Soren felt as though he were in a velvet-lined tomb. It was a resting place for the soul, empty. Despite Lucian having fallen asleep, Soren remained awake, restless, struggling to quiet his noisy, busy mind.
