The Next Morning
The palace was already stirring when Alaric gathered his trusted knights.
Serafina, Kira, Kael, and Gideon stood before him in his study.
Each of them had served him long enough to recognize the weight in his tone before he even spoke.
"There's a man you're going to find," Alaric said.
"He's the one who trained my wife years ago, a physician, but more than that. Brilliant, and elusive. If he sent her that letter, he knows something we don't."
Kael nodded. "Does Your Highness have a name?"
"Not yet," Alaric replied. "You'll start by asking my wife what she remembers. Every detail. If he's still in Edistone, that's where your trail begins."
They bowed and departed immediately.
.
.
Daphne was in the imperial library again when they found her, parchments were scattered around her as usual.
She looked up as the four approached.
