Now awake and surprisingly clear, the Dowager Duchess Elena sat propped up against the pillows of her grand bed. Eric and Philip stood on either side of her bed like two rival princes awaiting judgment.
"I have told you two to stop fighting more times than I can count," Elena began, her voice weak but firm, each word carrying the full weight of her authority. "But you will not listen to an old woman. It is of no use. So…" She looked from one grandson to the other, her gaze sharp and assessing. "I am going to try a new tactic."
Eric and Philip both looked at her, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
"Maybe," she continued, a strange, weary light in her eyes, "you two must battle it out properly to finally end this childish fight. We need to really figure out who the true winner is, once and for all."
"Grandma, what do you mean by that?" Philip asked, his voice carefully neutral.
