POV: Caleb
The king’s summons woke me up after another restless night.
No attendant knocked twice at my door before my usual time unless someone had died or the kingdom was burning.
So, when Marlow rapped once, softly, and said only, "The King requests you in his study," I was already reaching for a shirt before I had fully processed the words.
I expected the talks on succession and the betrothal that was in the works. The same conversation my parents have been pressing in their own ways.
My mother, graceful and exacting, kept dropping hints about dynastic alliances and the importance of appearances, while my father asked pointed questions about loyalty, legacy, and whether I was ready to carry the weight that came with his crown.
I did not expect to find my father standing at the w
