Pan followed, in silence, at a respectful distance.
The rest of the day was declared a day of mourning. There was to be no work, no music, no talking—even from those Tansans who hadn’t bothered attending the funeral. Pan retired to his room and began reading a book he had found on the history of the Tansan royal family, although after only a few pages he felt his eyelids growing heavy and was soon asleep.
He didn’t wake up until the following day.
“How are you feeling?” he asked the king at breakfast.
The king swallowed a mouthful of fruit. “Better than I was feeling yesterday, although perhaps that’s because you’re here.”
Pan attempted a smile. “I mean about your brother.”
Seronisis’ stared at the fruit on his plate for a moment, contemplating his answer. “I had a lot of time to thi
