The Second Prince's letter arrived at the Royal Capital on a drizzling afternoon, brought back by two knights who took turns changing post horses throughout ten days of travel.
Count Aldric Thorne received the letter from the Royal Palace gatekeeper, glanced at the wax seal, then personally brought it straight into the study handing it directly to the Emperor. His Majesty the Emperor was sitting reviewing the treasury's expenditure ledgers. He saw Thorne step in, pushed the ledger stack aside, holding out his hand to receive the letter Thorne presented.
The letter was more than ten pages long. The handwriting was sometimes neat, sometimes scrawled like a person both writing and thinking.
