The Timely Arrival

Luke ran a hand through his hair, exhaling as he processed everything King Alf had just told him. Assassins, an abomination, the throne room burned to ashes—he'd expected things to be bad, but not this bad. And yet, he had a feeling there was more.

"…And then, right after all of that, I heard bandits attacked?" Luke questioned, tilting his head slightly.

King Alf sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Yes. As if the assassins weren't enough, mere hours after the main gate was blown apart, a horde of bandits descended upon us."

"Talk about kicking someone when they're already down," Luke leaned back, a wry chuckle escaping him.

"It was worse than you think. We were in no condition to fight back. We had just lost men to the assassins, the throne room was in ruins, and our defences had a gaping hole in them. Morale was low, and even the knights who still stood were exhausted," King Alf's gaze darkened.

Luke's smirk faded. Shit.