It had been a full week since Aries woke from his three-month-long slumber, and during that short span of time, countless rumors had begun to circulate within the palace, and even more so throughout the kingdom.
The King himself had grown impatient. Curiosity, suspicion, and political pressure all weighed heavily on him, and thus he sent word that Aries was to enter the courtroom as soon as possible. Ironically, the messenger assigned to deliver this summons lingered helplessly in the kitchens instead, dust and smoke clouding his vision as the chaos within made it impossible for him to speak up at once.
Lucien could be seen at the heart of it all.
The sleeves of his garments were rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms dusted with ash. Black coal smudged his face in several places, sweat clung to his skin, and beads of perspiration rolled down his temples and jaw. His hands were damp, slightly wrinkled from heat and water alike, trembling faintly as he worked.
