The tournament's opening ceremonies stretched into the afternoon. Kaelen endured the speeches, the introductions, the endless procession of nobles who wanted to shake his hand and study his face and ask him questions they didn't really want answered. He smiled when expected. He nodded when appropriate. He said nothing of substance and watched the dungeon gate pulse with a light only he could see.
By the time the formalities ended, his jaw ached from forced pleasantries and his mind was spinning with fragments of the letter Lyra had shown him.
"You are not alone. You have never been alone."
