The Winter Palace was in utter chaos. The majestic halls, usually having an icy calm, were now alive with the clamor of hurried footsteps and frantic whispers. News of Prince Aldric's abduction had spread like wildfire.
The revelation that his own brother Andre and the Autumn Prince had orchestrated his capture, with Aldric's trusted second-in-command, Issac, aiding them, sent shockwaves through the palace. The betrayal was unimaginable, a blow to the very core of the Winter court's stability.
The gravity of the situation drew the ministers from their homes in the dead of night, rushing to the palace to verify the unsettling rumors. Faces were pale, voices hushed but urgent, as they gathered in the grand hall, normally imposing space now filled with a sense of vulnerability and betrayal.