The heavy thump of the hall's double doors closing echoed through the silent space, signaling that no one else was entering, and no one was leaving.
King Alderon stood at the center of the raised dais, his golden crown catching the sharp light of the chandelier overhead. His expression was a smooth, practiced mask of royal composure, completely immune to the heavy dread filling the room.
"My lords, ladies, and honored guests," Alderon's voice boomed across the marble floor, carrying effortlessly into every corner of the hall. "I thank you all for gathering on such short notice. I trust your stay within these walls has been as pleasant as the circumstances allow, despite the sudden lockdown."
A faint, uneasy shift passed through the crowd of capital nobles and envoys alike. Pleasant wasn't exactly the word anyone would use to describe being trapped inside a guarded estate under constant surveillance.
