Lord Cedric sat in the quiet of his study, his focus drifting as he scanned through reports of the border patrols, an ever-vigilant protector of his family's realm. The light from the midday sun cast a warm glow over the room, filling it with a false sense of peace. It was this quietude that the sudden arrival of a messenger interrupted, a man in Valeidio guard's uniform, his face drawn with a gravity that instantly unsettled Cedric.
"A message from the palace, my lord," the messenger said, extending a letter sealed with the royal crest.
Cedric dismissed the man with a quick wave of his hand, a sense of unease prickling his skin. As he carefully broke the seal, a faint dread settled in his heart. But nothing could prepare him for the words within.
Eirik… kidnapped.
