Aside from the nearly imperceptible sound of breathing, the Ballard Chamber was so silent that one could hear a pin drop at this moment.
But as the Chief Commander of the Royal Guard, Lord Adrian felt that these were some of the most torturous, most painful moments he had ever endured in his life.
Shadows flickered in the light of the fire.
The setting sun illuminated the walls, painting them a bright red with blood.
Across the table, the Supreme King and the Duke of Star Lake sat in silence, not uttering a word.
Everyone else was as still as if they were frozen in fear and tension, anxiously awaiting the unsettling and fragile peace to break.
Finally, after an indeterminable amount of time, the deep and restrained voice of King Kessel slowly filled the room:
"Why?"
Why.
The King's words were very calm, very slow.
Yet they held an unbearable weight.
In response, there was the low laughter of the young Duke.
