11#11

11

RAGNULF

The call arrived unexpectedly.

The council demanded my immediate presence in their chamber. I gritted my teeth as I rode my steed, the journey seeming interminable.

Upon arrival, I found the elders already gathered, their eyes fixed on me with an unfamiliar scrutiny. It wasn't until I spotted Jeanette in the room's center that my anger began to rise.

Her tear-streaked face did nothing to quell my growing fury. I wanted nothing more than to cause her pain.

"You," I snarled, my tone menacing and low.

Jeanette's red-rimmed eyes met mine, as if she'd been weeping for hours. "Ragnulf," she whimpered in her falsely sweet voice. "I'm so very sorry."

I shook my head incredulously. "You're despicable."

One of the elders leaned in, speaking with practiced precision. "Ragnulf, we've received troubling information."

My pulse quickened. "From whom?" I demanded.