"He was loyal. To his country. To his friends. To his family. He gave everything he had, and when that wasn't enough, he gave himself. That is the kind of man we are laying to rest today. A man who should never be forgotten."
Across the rows, Ava's hands shook where they gripped her umbrella. She bit her lip hard, fighting back sobs, her eyes fixed on the coffin as though willing it to open.
Beside her, King White wrapped a steadying hand over Queen White's trembling fingers. The Queen's face was streaked with tears, her lips moving silently as if whispering prayers into the rain.
Hannah buried her face in her palms, shoulders shaking, until one of Somto's comrades gently put an arm around her. That single touch broke others too, within his circle, hardened soldiers and lifelong fighters bowed their heads, unable to hold their composure. Their grief was silent but vast, like a mountain collapsing inside.
