As the minutes ticked by, restlessness and unease grew among the ministers in the great hall.
If everything was normal, the King's guards should have returned to the palace by now.
Their prolonged absence indicated that something unusual must have happened.
After another quarter of an hour, there was finally a commotion outside.
A member of the kingdom's guard, clad in black armor, rushed into the hall, visibly agitated.
"How did it go?" King George, seeing the guard's distressed expression, immediately braced for bad news.
"Your Majesty," the guard reported, breathlessly, "We found a large number of war mechanoids designed for sieges in the Crown Prince's palace. The quantity is enormous, enough to potentially destroy half the city if deployed."
The news caused an uproar among the ministers below.
They could hardly believe what they were hearing.
"The Crown Prince really plotting a rebellion? Has he lost his mind?"
