The news about what happened at the banquet had already spread across the entire empire by noon, and people were already talking about it. The news, of course, was fueled by the opposition faction, who even added exaggerated details to make the imperial family look bad while making Grand Duke Freindor appear good.
The populace, who believed that the imperial family could gain the support of Aldrian the Great, began to criticize them harshly, even those who had previously remained neutral. The reputation of Aldrian the Great as a hero was not small; everyone wanted the best for their hero, especially for those he loved.
