The palace bells were ringing on high alert, their thunderous clangs echoing through the marble corridors. Guards were sprinting in different directions, shouting over one another.
"The blast came from the courtyard!"
"Check the perimeter! Wasn't the traitor Harold being brought in today?!"
One guard shouted back, "He was! Escort detail's gone silent—move!"
Boots clashed against the stone floor as they disappeared down the hall. The corridor, moments ago filled with frantic noise, fell eerily silent once they left.
Behind the massive double doors of the royal chamber, King Darius sat slumped on his couch, staring out the wide glass window as smoke curled from the courtyard below. He sighed heavily, resting his chin on his hand.
"For once," he muttered, voice dripping with exhaustion, "can this castle go one day—just one day—without exploding?"
The sarcasm was sharp enough to cut marble.
