King Thaddeus slammed his fist onto the table, the sound echoing in the empty chamber. His mind raced, anger mingling with the sharp sting of betrayal. After everything he had done to salvage the kingdom's precarious position, Carl's recklessness threatened to undo it all.
A knock at the door interrupted his rage. One of his guards stepped in, his face pale with urgency.
"Your Majesty, Prince Carl has escaped."
Thaddeus glared at the man, his fury boiling over. "Of course, he has! The damned fool doesn't know when to quit." He grabbed the nearest goblet from the table and hurled it against the wall, the shards scattering like his patience.
"Find him!" he bellowed, his voice thundering through the room. "I don't care if you have to turn the entire castle upside down, bring him back! And this time, I want him chained so tightly he won't even be able to lift a finger without permission!"
The guard bowed hastily and fled to carry out the order.
