The castle buzzed with chaos as the carriage rolled into the courtyard, its creaking wheels announcing the arrival of survivors and news of the horrors that had transpired.
Servants, guards, and nobles spilled out from every corner of the castle—princes, princesses, the king and his concubines, and even the queen's maids, though her chambers were too far to reach in the commotion.
"What happened?" voices whispered and shouted simultaneously.
Some were concerned, others skeptical, and a few purely curious.
The health center, typically quiet and orderly, was now bustling.
Physicians and healers rushed between beds, tending to the fainted princesses Christina and Jolene, Mire, and others who bore signs of trauma.
Mire stirred faintly, her lips trembling as if trying to form words.
The king, clad in a heavy robe, arrived with an entourage of guards and advisors.