Lucy rubbed the back of her head and laughed, the sound light and easy, like she was talking about something small instead of something that clearly carried weight.
"You know," she said, drawing out the words as if she were remembering it all again, "when the previous king died."
She paused there, still smiling, eyes half-lidded with that calm look she always had when she thought she already knew how the conversation would go.
The hallway around us was quiet, and the air felt still, but her laughter kept it from feeling heavy.
"Some rebels used the chance to attack some far territories," she continued, waving one hand in a loose motion, "and they took wealth from the lords there."
"Gold, food, anything of value they could get their hands on."
She leaned closer as she spoke, lowering her voice a little, as if sharing a secret even though there was no one else around.
"The lords didn't like that at all."
"They came running to us soon after, demanding we make a move."
