Sophia watched the king's face as he opened the last gift, wondering why he seemed uneasy. Her pondering was cut short by the unearthly rumble and the crash of Karl Leid plummeting through a nearby table. As the body struck the ground, a single drop of blood landed on Sophia's cheek. Her eyes widened with horror at the scene that had just unfolded before her. All the color drained from the princess' face. Her hands shook and the glass fell from her hand, shattering on the stone floor of the courtyard. She was frozen, unable to move from terror. She had never expected something so dramatic to happen, especially at the feast. Everything had been routine, they were just here on a diplomatic mission, why was all this happening now?

Jezin froze when he heard the crash. Lexine suspicions had been correct. Something was terribly wrong. He slowly turned his head to see a mangled body had landed feet from the king, and in an instant his training kicked in.He glanced to Payton, who seemed baffled by the calamity that had just befallen them. In an instant, he bolted, his coat slipping from the woman's hands. He ran headlong toward Sophia and Gareth, grabbing the princess around the waist and throwing her over his shoulder. He slight frame made her easy to carry. The girl seemed paralyzed by fear, and he couldn't blame her. A man had just fallen from the sky. He looked towards the king, who was now surrounded by his knights. For a moment he cursed the loss of his weapon, but now wasn't the time. He had to get the princess to safety. He'd be damned if anything happened to her on his watch. He rushed off, knocking people over as he ran, the princess still over his shoulder.

Sophia couldn't even register that Jezin picked her up. She watched as the scene before her grew smaller and smaller, feeling a few bumps every time Jezin ran into someone. She outreached one hand as they fled back towards Gareth. She couldn't manage to speak, but her eyes seemed to bear some kind of warning, perhaps a request to follow them, perhaps a warning to get far away as quickly as possible.

Jezin's mind raced. He had to get the princess to safety immediately. He struggled to think of a safe place, when an epiphany struck him. The interrogation room. It had seemed nearly impenetrable when Redwyne took him back there. He turned sharply and darted towards the palace, quickly rushing through the outer door towards the room. As he reached the door, he noticed a few weapons lying outside. It didn't register immediately that this probably meant an interrogation was going on. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn it!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the door three times. "What the fuck is going on here?!" He struck the heavy metal door once more. He felt the princess shivering on his shoulder. It was clear the girl was terrified.