Elias took a sharp step forward as Cassian finally reached us, his hand instinctively dropping to the hilt of his sword. "What is the meaning of this Cassian? Speak clearly," Elias said, his voice carrying the full, rigid weight of his royal authority despite the tension surrounding the air.
Cassian bent double for a single moment, pressing a hand against his ribs as he desperately caught his breath, his face completely pale under the torchlight of the corridor. "Your Highness... Lady Ophelia," Cassian gasped out, his eyes wide with an erratic, frantic energy. "Lady Ophelia has returned to the castle. She has just marched into the grand throne room, and she is not alone. The second prince, Prince Lucien, is accompanying her."
