Chapter 7
Thorne's Shadow
Lord Commander Thorne, outwardly helpful, subtly obstructs Valerius's investigation. His questions are probing, his suggestions misleading, all designed to steer Valerius away from the truth he desperately guards.
Lord Commander Thorne’s presence in the King’s private study was as ubiquitous as the scent of polished oak and old parchment. He stood beside Detective Valerius, a silhouette of imposing authority against the flickering firelight, his voice a low rumble that seemed to absorb the very shadows of the room. “The Princess, Valerius,” Thorne began, his gaze sweeping over the scattered documents on the heavy mahogany desk, “a most perplexing situation. Her chambers… undisturbed, save for that one peculiar item.”
Valerius, his brow furrowed in concentration, didn’t look up. He was tracing the faint, almost imperceptible scorch mark on the edge of a discarded quill, a detail Thorne had dismissed as insignificant. “The mark is fresh, Lord Commander,” Valerius murmured, his voice barely audible. “And the residue… not from ink.”
Thorne let out a short, sharp laugh that lacked any genuine amusement. “Details, Valerius, details. We have a missing princess, not a botched alchemical experiment. The King is beside himself. We need progress, not… minutiae.” He stepped closer, his shadow engulfing Valerius’s workspace. “Have you considered the possibility of a simple, albeit audacious, abduction? A rival noble house, perhaps? Or those unruly border clans who have long coveted our kingdom’s prosperity?”
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