The crystal in Felicity's necklace pulsed one final time before dimming. The king's presence was gone.
A heavy silence followed, broken only when Lucille spoke up. "… That was the king? The same Alexios I remember?" Her tone dripped with disbelief. "He was a monster back then. Cruel, uncompromising, the kind of man who'd hang you for breathing wrong. All of us kids were scared to even breathe in his presence, and our parents fared little better. And now he's…" she gestured vaguely, brow furrowed, "This… easygoing? Reasonable? I don't even know what to call it."
Aurora felt a great deal of emotion as well. "Lost for words doesn't even begin to cover it. The last twenty-four hours have been… insane. I need to rest before my head splits in half." She rubbed her temples as she began walking away, but then her eyes darkened. 'And… my parents weren't there,' she thought inwardly.
