Chapter 25: Genocide

"You came here all of a sudden. Is anything the matter?" She asked once they settled in for the morning meal. Big steaming kettles and moist pastry were brought in and tea poured out for them.

"Where's Julian?" She asked the maid who poured tea for her but the maid bowed and walked away without a word. Her eyes narrowed. Another stared at her, her lips moving but no words coming out.

"There's something terribly wrong, Aurora," Sebastian frowned, noticing the strange atmosphere, and only then did she remember the invisible sound barrier she created. She sighed and whispered to the wind.

"My lady, you seem not to hear a thing of what I say,"

"I apologize," Aurora smiled at the maid who had been speaking, "what do you have to say?"

Sebastian looked at his wife and at the maid, still perplexed then he came to the realization.

"Prince Julian has requested absence from the meal, my lady," the maid spoke.

"Is he not well?" She inquired with concern.

"I do not know."

"As he pleases,"