The chamber was dimly lit only by a single lamp.
An old man's gnarled fingers drummed against the carved armrest. His cane leaned within reach.
"Why has no news reached me? Why is the Emperor still breathing?"
The three men kneeling before him shifted uneasily.
One swallowed hard before answering. "We went, Majesty. To the countryside mansion where the Regent said he was. But…" His voice faltered. "He was not there."
Another quickly added, "The house was empty. Guarded too carefully to approach. There was no sign of the Emperor."
"Played." The old man's lips curled back over yellowed teeth. "We have been played."
His cane slammed once against the floor, the sharp crack making all three men flinch.
"Alaric," he whispered the name like poison, "has hidden him. The Emperor is no longer within our reach."
