Falco's Discovery in the Throne Room

When Falco, Buri, Minos and Qing all arrived in the throne room they found Leo dead. There was no sign of Priam's body, so they had come to the conclusion that the maneless white lion must have either pursued his master's killer or escaped during the chaos. Alas, besides Leo's cadaver, the throne room was completely empty. There was no sign of Eithne and her Aeneas, no sign of Pasiphae and her son Brutus, no sign of Xe-tian, no sign of Acinonyx and his cheetah Paris... No sign of Rowena.

Approaching Leo's body, Falco knelt down and saw the same blow that had killed Rowena's paterfamilias Alfred and her unwanted bridegroom two twelvemonths prior. Taurus had done this... Killed his own brother-in-law... But why?

The wheels turning in his head, Falco realized the reason... Just as Leo had intended to make sure that his city had died with him, he had intended to make sure that his line had died with him as well. He had intended to kill his infant son Brutus, Taurus' own nephew. For all that was evil in Taurus' heart, Falco found himself able to smile and know that there was at least something good in him.

But where was everyone else? To Falco's thinking, Acinonyx must have not been in agreement with his paterfamilias' desire that everyone should die with him, therefore he must have taken Rowena against her will in an attempt to escape. Then did that mean that Taurus and all loyal to him had taken Eithne, Aeneas, Pasiphae, Brutus and Xe-tian? He had no idea, but he had to find Rowena!

Running from the throne room, the Last Divine Deucalion of Aether heard Minos ask: "Where are you going, Falco?"

"To find Rowena!" he answered. "Acinonyx has her, I'm sure!" Immediately, the other three followed after him. He would not be facing the Crown Prince of Hyperion alone.