Outside, beyond the crystalline walls of the palace, the kingdom of Faevale stirs to life. Birds sing melodies woven with faint magic, and the wind carries the scent of blooming nightshade and morning dew. It should be a peaceful dawn. A beautiful one.

Instead, the air inside is thick with unspoken words.

He's given you this news in private, away from the courtiers and advisors who would whisper their opinions into your ear until you could hear nothing else.

In the silence that follows, the only sound is the distant trickle of the palace fountain and the flutter of wings from a messenger sparrow perched on the windowsill.