The king was the law, and once the law was dead, chaos reigned. Nobles fastened their cloaks, pulled on their boots, and saddled up their horses. Some grabbed gold, some grabbed documents, and some even grabbed the meat and wine in the royal cellars.1 Meanwhile, as they rushed back and forth, Chilperic remained where he had fallen from his horse2 in the stable yard. The sky turned from violet to black and the shadows of the surrounding forest fell across the crumpled king, now completely alone.
Shelley Puhak in The Dark Queens