After returning to the capital and receiving a warm welcome from his beloved companions at the gates of Strandfort, Dean found himself standing in the heart of the royal palace. He had just delivered Lady Aethelwyn to the guards, who promptly escorted her to the dungeons where she would await her trial.
As they entered the capital, Dean was taken aback by the sight of a large crowd gathered along the streets. It was a surprising deviation from his usual return to the capital, where he rarely received any grand welcome. Confusion briefly clouded his mind as he wondered if the crowd was there for him, perhaps a sign of a shift in his reputation among the common people.
