The guards stiffened. "Your Majesty?"
"Tell him I will allow his search," the king said slowly, "but the moment the girl is found, the castle reopens. And if he wishes to keep acting without permission…" He let his words hang ominously. "…then he should be prepared for the consequences."
The knights bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Majesty."
As they hurried out of the hall, the king picked up his goblet again, but the wine no longer tasted the same.
His grip on the cup tightened.
Alaric was making a mistake.
A dangerous one.
And soon, he would learn just how much power a king truly held.
/
Prince Benjamin had been watching the hall with mild disinterest, his fingers lazily swirling the wine in his goblet, when he noticed the movement.
Guards kneeling before his father.
Hushed whispers.
A ripple of tension spreading through the air.
Something was wrong.