The heir's mansion was now a scene of desolation.
Everyone rushed about tirelessly, tearing down the red cloth and replacing it with white funeral banners. What had moments ago been a festive display, arranged to celebrate granting Aurora a title, had instantly transformed into a stark, pale the funeral hall.
Clad in funeral garb, Aurora knelt before the coffin, sobbing incessantly. "Your Highness, you left before I could even call you Mother. How could you?"
Beside her, Dorian knelt, his face as bloodless as the Dowager Princess lying in the casket. He had been kneeling there for four hours, yet he still could not accept what had happened. His tightly pressed lips were cracked and white with dry skin. His eyes felt parched and raw, and his throat felt as if something were clutching it,
