Chapter 45

The drums rolled and the voices of the singers rose as well as the stomping of feets dancing rhythmically to the beat. The festival had opened with sound and movement. At the center of the open space, fire pits glowed and dancers circled. The smell of burning wood and roasted meat drifted in the air.

Grandfather Lucien sat in the middle of the space which had been designated for the royal family. At his right sat Leone, dressed in black, a cloak around his shoulders. Though he was ...