I ask my maid to bring my breakfast to my room which is where I spend the day. I study the history of the nobles living in the palace. Most of them are descended from the same old families that have been connected to Ambrose’s family for generations.

I make notes, putting my thoughts on paper until I’m surrounded by a mess of parchment. I sketch the best rendition of the sigil I can remember, but even my memory is starting to fade, its exact rendition becoming fuzzy. ...