"Another settlement is gone." The soldier in charge of delivering this message stood in front of the desk, his tone grimmer with each report he must deliver to their crown prince.
There wasn't a hint of fear or hesitation. Nor did his voice waver, despite the darkening expression of his liege.
Just a soldier doing his job, reporting his information.
But Donncahd, on the other hand...
He clearly didn't want this sort of report.
"Dead? All of them?" The crown prince's expression grew stormy.
"No survivors were found." The soldier shook his head. "There is no way to confirm that every person in the village died, but-" There was something in the man's expression.
"What?" The prince's red eyes darkened, as if he already knew the answer. His eyes were locked on the soldier in a hard stare. The man before him shifted uncomfortably. Not nervous or frightened, exactly.