"My king..." the shadow uttered in an exasperated voice. Then, his presence seemed to fade away, indicating he pulled himself away from the throne. "Could it be...?"
The king relaxed back on his throne. He kept his head facing up, towards the high ceiling of the throne hall.
For but a short moment, he kept his eyes closed and his breathing steady.
To all the retainers still awaiting the king to give them his next orders, he had to appear to be sleeping.
"A rouge hero is someone who doesn't abide by the rules set by the ancient tower," the king whispered once he finally collected his thoughts.
He then opened his eyes and brought his face down, taking a long, meaningful look at his retainers gathered in the hall.
Their faces were filled with anxiety, boredom, and uncertainty... All sorts of emotions reflected the state the kingdom was in.
