Grandfather did not go to his room after the investigators left.
He went to the palace.
He arrived without an appointment, which was not how things were typically done, but the Rodina name moved through gatekeepers the way very few names did. It was not with the weight of title, but with something older and quieter than that. The kind of weight that made people step aside without being asked to think about why.
He was in the king's audience chamber within twenty minutes of arriving at the gate.
The king was still dressed for the evening. He had been eating, from the look of it, and the interruption had not been expected.
He looked at Grandfather.
He looked at his expression.
He set down whatever was in his hand.
"Sit down," the king said.
"I will stand," Grandfather said. "This will not take long."
