King Thaddeus paced back and forth in the grand hall, his heavy boots echoing against the stone floor. His face was a storm of fury, his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he fumed, barely able to contain his anger.
Prince Carl, his eldest son, stood nearby, watching his father's every movement, concern flickering in his sharp eyes. On the floor, crumpled in a pool of blood, lay the messenger who had delivered the news that had sent the king into this rage.
Caledon, the king's chief advisor, stood not far from the king, silent and still, his face a mask of calm though his mind was spinning with the consequences of their failed assassination attempts.
"I warned them!" King Thaddeus growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I warned them not to fail me again. Do you know how many men we've lost this time?" He turned sharply toward Carl, his face twisted with rage. "Do you?"
