A soft rattling sound carries above the dying whispers like a tremorous wind through husked wheat. The parchment in the prince’s hands shakes as he reads out dreadful news in a voice just as hollow. Someone clears their throat and he speaks up, the words tumbling out of his mouth in a stuttering, rushed jumble. His brown eyes glisten and his cheeks flush with effort as he pushes through and belts out the few remaining lines. The reason for his emotional state is obvious as the last, dreadful sentence cracks and echoes off of the palace’s marble walls.
