Griffon Kingdom, Royal Palace. After the attack.

King Meron had sought an audience with Tyris for weeks, but her private chambers had always remained sealed. After returning from the Blood Desert, she had been too busy dismantling the secret lab first and checking the records about who had studied Arthan’s Madness later to bother with his yearly worries.

Finding clues about the identity of the mastermind behind the Abominations was her priority, especially since the Council had washed their hands of the matter. She only yielded because of his unrelenting pestering of her 24/7.

King Meron couldn’t help but think about Count Lark and how he must have felt after being rejected over and over by the Court just a few months prior.

Tyris’s throne room was a perfect replica of the one the Royal family used during social events, except for the fact that every piece of furniture was made of stone. Even the throne itself was no exception.

Carpets, tapestries, even the ceremonial armors along the hallway seemed to have been carved down to the finest detail. More than once, the King had wondered if there was a secret behind the second throne room and which one of them was sitting on the real throne.

“First Queen, forgive my insistence, but I bring dire news.” Meron knelt on the ground even though he knew that formalities were meaningless to her. Yet in his desperation, he wasn’t willing to leave a single stone unturned.