[Next Day: Morning]
•Silverhowl Palace (Throne Room)•
King Raymond's POV
The morning light streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting fractured patterns across the marble floor. I drummed my fingers against the armrest of my throne, the rhythmic tapping echoing through the empty hall. Still no word from Ace or Ray. The silence gnawed at me, a persistent itch between my shoulder blades that no amount of shifting could ease.
The heavy oak doors burst open with a sharp crack against the stone walls. Nathaniel, my most trusted attendant, rushed in with uncharacteristic haste. His usually immaculate silver hair was disheveled, and his chest rose and fell with quick breaths.
"Your Highness." He bowed deeply, clutching a parchment in his trembling hands. "I've found it—the original correspondence from Thunoa Village. The seal..." He hesitated, his throat working as he swallowed. "It's a forgery. A skilled one, but false nonetheless."
