Chapter 32
The King watched the faces around the long, golden meeting table. The Prime Minister had voiced his worry, but now sat silently, looking down.
The other nobles, the heads of the important families in the kingdom, also stayed quiet. No one else spoke up against the King’s order for a full investigation of everyone.
But their silence wasn’t agreement. The King could see it in their stiff postures, in the way some avoided his eyes. They didn’t argue, but they didn’t like it. They didn’t trust his plan, they didn’t trust him anymore.
The King understood their silence. He knew what they were thinking without them saying a word. He felt a coldness spread through him.
’They doubt me,’ he thought. ’They think I can’t protect this kingdom. They think they can defy me.’ A hard feeling settled in his chest. ’I will not let my kingdom fall apart because of their secret plans. I will not let these people drag us down.’
He had closed his eyes for just a moment, gathering his thoughts. Now, he opened them again. But the look in his eyes had changed. The tiredness was gone. The calm mask he usually wore was gone too. Now, his eyes burned with cold anger.
Then, something changed in the room. It started with the King. He stood tall, his back straight, and a powerful energy suddenly flowed out from him.
It wasn’t something you could easily see, but everyone felt it. It was like a heavy blanket suddenly dropped over the entire meeting hall. This was the King’s magical power, his aura, unleashed.
It spread out from him in a silent wave, washing over every single person sitting around the table.
The air in the room became thick and heavy, hard to breathe. The nobles gasped. Fear flashed across their faces, replacing the doubt and defiance from moments before.
Their eyes went wide. They started to tremble where they sat. It felt like a giant hand was pressing down on them, making it hard to move, hard even to think.