Deep down, Astrid felt the inevitability of her fate creeping closer. As her thoughts spiraled, a familiar face flashed in her mind—a man's warm smile, gentle and kind.
"Michael…"
Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Astrid began to cry softly.
Charles V had ordered Philip's battered corpse to be discarded on the plains. Afterward, he summoned Duke Capone for a drink, unable to sleep as thoughts of Randolph, now interred in the fortress's underground crypt, consumed him. The weight of guilt and regret pressed heavily on his chest.
Charles V lifted his trembling hand to his glass, pouring yet another drink. He had already emptied several glasses and was now noticeably inebriated. With a faint, bitter laugh, he turned to Duke Capone.
"It's been a while since I've gotten this drunk, hasn't it, Vincent?"