Everyone in the Grand Audience Hall looked shocked by the display of imperial power. However, the surviving guards of the entourages reacted swiftly: they picked up their crippled lords and vacated the palace, bowing deeply. They were shattered and humiliated, but they were still alive, and there was room for negotiation. They knew full well that if they provoked the Emperor any further, they would not leave alive.
Carrying their lords on their backs, the escorts fled in haste.
Vorian stepped forward and looked at the monarch.
"Emperor, you have endured their insolence for far too long," said Vorian. "I will mobilize the imperial army immediately."
"No, Vorian," replied the Emperor, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. "Remember that in the end, we are empires of the same continent, and we shall follow the teachings of our ancestors. Send a letter to the three empires; in three days, we march to war."
