Margrave Boris held back the urge to ask what had happened. The situation didn't permit him to do so. He kept his head down, trying to gather clues and make sense of the situation on his own.
As the king gently patted his lover to soothe her, he glanced around the hall. This hallway led to a storage dungeon once used during special occasions—grand balls with foreign guests, royal weddings, or coronations.
But since the guerilla attack led by the late Elder Alfred, the palace had closed its doors to the public. No parties or celebrations had taken place within its walls. Many lives had been lost, and King Valentin saw it as a tragedy that deserved proper mourning.
Lady Maris also believed it was best to avoid public gatherings to keep Florian out of the spotlight.
"I don't want any more vampires to suffer," Lady Maris said weakly, shaking her head as she pressed her clenched fists against the king's chest. "I did what I had to do."