The moment the second prince's footsteps disappeared down the hallway, Vaelen let out a long, tired breath, as if the entire palace had suddenly become too suffocating to stand in.
His expression, usually sharp and controlled, tightened with irritation. He hated chaos. He hated noise. And right now everything inside the king's chamber was nothing but noise...fake tears, real disgust, and a mess he had no interest in handling.
The queen was still trembling with anger, her eyes fixed on the door the second prince had vanished through. She looked ready to chase him down the corridor and claw at him.
But Vaelen gave her a cold glance, the kind that said: Do what you want. He's your headache, not mine.
He had no intention of staying in that suffocating room a second longer.
Someone had dared to poison the king. Someone had entered the palace with enough guts to strike at the strongest man in the empire.
