Clowns

The silence of the royal family made one thing clear to the angry nobles: the tree protecting them wasn’t nearly as sturdy as they thought it to be.

Duke Grasberg had unexpectedly gone silent and hidden himself away on the pretext that he was injured, no longer the ardent supporter he used to be. Rumours were about that Viscount Zim had entered hibernation, and though the public did not know why there were many who understood the unicorn bloodline well enough to realise he was in hibernation. Countess Katrina was now expecting as well.

All these things would normally only be a threat ten years down the line, but Richard’s brazenness made it clear that the throne wasn’t stable....