CHAPTER 151
The next morning broke quiet, a pale fog lingering over the palace grounds. Inside the council chamber, Grace sat alone, the same stack of reports from the previous day spread open before her. The candles had burned down through the night; their wax formed pale rings along the wooden table. She had barely slept.
One by one, the councillors entered, Honest, Vera, and the few others she had assigned to the investigation. Each bowed briefly, then took their seats. The weight of the task showed on their faces. No one spoke until Grace gave the first word.
"Let's begin," she said simply. Her voice was calm but sharp enough to carry through the hall. "What have you found?"
