As the names echoed through the hall, Ethan felt a ripple of confusion. He leaned toward the Captain, his voice a low whisper behind the silver mask.
"Alaric? Valerius? They share names with the King and the very house we're sitting in. Is that a coincidence?"
The Captain didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed on the Royal Box below. "Nothing in the capital is a coincidence, Ethan. The Second Queen—Alaric's mother—is His Majesty's undisputed favorite. She manipulated the court so that even though Alaric isn't the eldest or the official heir, he would carry the King's own name as a mark of favor. Everyone knows Charles is the first in line by birth, but Alaric is the one the King loves. Politically, that makes him a far more dangerous monster."
"And the youngest? Valerius?" Ethan asked.
