"The hell is going on outside?" Ludwig said as he sipped from a copper cup. The mead was sweet and did not seem to have much alcohol in it, a honeyed thing that coated his tongue and left only a soft warmth behind. He kept his face aimed at the window next to him, the side of his mask catching the faint reflection of lanterns across the inner court. The glass was the old kind that wavered and swam when he shifted his head, so the city beyond looked as if it were painted on water.
It was night time and they were asked to remain where they were, in wait for his majesty to wake up. The order had been delivered with courtesy and with a firmness that expected obedience. However, the wait took too long as it was well into the night. The palace changed its breath after sunset, voices softened along the corridors, the soft percussion of sandals on carpet became the rule, and torches along the outer walkways stretched shadows like dark tapestries between the pillars.
