Loss
Kothar sat across from the Duke in the now all too familiar study, Anteris had summoned him for the first time since his drunken outburst. The Duke, and his study, were well groomed today, Anteris' long silver mane had been brushed and braided with silver beads, and he had shaved his face. Likewise, his study had been dusted and cleaned, and the empty decanters and broken glass had been cleared from the cozy room, and it once more looked like a cosy study, rather than a drunkard's retreat.
"I have news from Ursten. A word of warning, some of it is bad." Anteris paused, letting Kothar process what he said and prepare mentally. He sighed softly, and in that moment looked like the great Duke Anteris he had once been, the terror of the seas, standing tall upon the prow of his ship in even the heaviest of storms.