Life in the palace was always hectic. Although it was the biggest building in the entire kingdom of Aeloria, it never looked desolate or empty. There were people everywhere, attending to their tasks. And where there are people, there is gossip.
"Have you heard, master?" asked a gardener apprentice to his master, who was trimming the bushes inside the palace. "The maids have been talking about the ninth prince being tried in Ironheart. Some claim he assaulted the daughter of a duke!"
His master, who sat atop a stool and admired his trimming, paused and let out a long sigh. "I don't care about these gossips, but I can't help but believe that. It was a matter of time before the deadbeat prince bit off more than he could chew."
"Have you met him, master?" asked the apprentice with some excitement in his eyes. "What is he like?"
