There was a pause. A beat of silence that stretched just a little too long—thick, suffocating. Both Athena and Scarlett's eyes widened ever so slightly, and Florian's hands instinctively clenched into the fabric of his lap.
He felt small. Cornered by his own words.
"I was told last night by His Majesty... that you both—and the rest of the princesses—already knew about Alexandria's crimes," Florian began, his voice soft but heavy. "And that you had to watch her execution."
He inhaled deeply, willing his voice not to shake.
"So... I feel like I can be more open now, which is... honestly, a relief."
'It's not that I want to talk about it. But it's worse pretending everything's fine.'
His mind drifted for a moment, back to the night before—Lucius's quiet voice, the tension in the room after he left. Heinz had gone silent afterward, retreating to his office and calling in Cashew. And Florian hadn't seen much of him since.
