Along with the bearers, only the close family members and a few honored individuals had entered the Royal Tombs for the last part of the rites. The rest had stayed outside, standing in respect as the caskets were being brought in, and then in wait as they were being sealed inside one by one.
Leal stood with his countrymen and the other foreign representatives, some of whom had elected to exchange pleasantries with them. They had hesitated to do so before, but after learning that Leal was a royal and after seeing that Arnica's Queen had given him due honor, they decided it was safe enough to be seen associating with the foreign prince and his lords.
Some of Arnica's upper crust seemed to have been thinking the same, especially those who'd been wanting to get a closer look. In a stately tr
