Reaction

The friends, their faces frozen in shock, stood in stunned silence.

Their eyes darted between each other, exchanging perplexed glances that mirrored their collective astonishment.

It was as if an invisible weight had descended upon them, leaving their minds reeling and struggling to process the gravity of this unexpected royal decree.

"This... is unexpected," said one of them.

For so long, employing children as labour had been an unquestioned norm.

It's understandable why they were so shocked by the children banned policy.

Around them, the crowd that had gathered near the newsstand shared their astonishment. Murmurs and gasps rippled through the onlookers.

"What the? Am I seeing this right?" said a middle-aged man, his voice quivering with incredulity. The middle-aged man stood there, a portrait of astonishment, his eyes widened with disbelief.