A hand-held knife and fork, deftly carving through a succulent piece of meat, puncturing it with precision, and guiding it toward the mouth. It was Kael, seated at one of the bustling banquet tables.
Beside him, the Fire King exuded an air of authority, draped in a regal red mage robe, his frame comfortably settled into the chair, a glass of rich red wine resting within his grasp.
"I never imagined you'd be misled," the Fire King's voice reverberated across the table but nobody outside its range heard him, his expression a mix of disappointment and curiosity.
Kael, engaged in his meal, spoke between bites, "It wasn't my fault. Who would have thought that someone would resort to using an innocent person to escape?"
A third voice interjected with a touch of cynicism, "What do you know? If your life were on the line, you'd do the same."
