Chapter 14: Rightful Heir.(3)
The guards hesitated, caught between the Baroness's command and the rising uproar.
Suddenly, the doors burst open—House Sally's soldiers flooded into the chamber, their boots thunderous against the marble floor.
Panic rippled through the crowd. Nobles scrambled for the exits, some shouting for their personal guards to protect Lucien, others narrowing their eyes, choosing to watch from the shadows.
Tension cracked like lightning.
Ten of House Sally's guards encircled Lucien and the merchants who stood in his favor. The ring tightened—blades drawn, eyes cold.
Steel clashed.
Sally's men met the merchant bodyguards in a flurry of violence. Sparks danced in the air as swords struck shields and steel met flesh.
One castle guard, trembling with uncertainty, finally shouted, "Protect the heir! He carries the Argrave blood!"
But another sneered, voice dripping with fear and spite, "Fool! Can't you see? House Argrave falls today. Follow this weakling, and you follow him into ruin!"
The air turned sharp with betrayal—and the hall descended into chaos.
Some of the guards froze mid-step.