With breakfast done and the last of the spiced tea sipped, Luke adjusted his outer robe, gave the map pouch a reassuring pat at his side, and nodded toward the door.
"Alright. Let's go talk to a couple of retired royals."
Ilyrana responded with a silent nod, already strapping her dagger beneath her cloak as she fell into step beside him. The corridors of the inner castle were quiet this early in the day, hushed with the slow stirrings of guards changing shifts and the muffled chatter of distant attendants. It was a different kind of quiet than the one Luke had known in the outer city. Here, everything felt slower, deeper. As if even the walls themselves carried memories too important to speak aloud.
