Florian instinctively straightened at the sound of Heinz's commanding voice, his spine going rigid as if an invisible force demanded his attention. His stomach churned uneasily, the knot in his gut tightening with every passing second.
'What now?' he wondered, his mind racing as he resisted the urge to glance at the princesses for reassurance.
The air in the room grew heavier, a suffocating tension gripping everyone present. Florian and the princesses lowered themselves into deep bows, their movements synchronized yet laced with hesitation. It was as if the very walls of the room braced for the tempest that always seemed to accompany Heinz's presence.
"Y-Your Majesty," Scarlett stammered, her voice trembling, stripped of its usual sharp confidence. Florian couldn't help but steal a quick glance at her. Seeing Scarlett—the ever-intimidating, ever-composed Scarlett—reduced to nervous stutters was jarring, unsettling even.
