Meanwhile, in the Beastkin Kingdom — Royal Palace
Deep within the royal chambers, King Lioness III sat in silence, the heavy air weighing down the room.
Queen Meira stood nearby, arms crossed, brows furrowed, not as queen, but as a mother.
Around them sat Ellyna's elder brothers, each tense and grim, their sharp eyes fixed on the center of the chamber.
Then...
The doors opened with urgency. A royal officer rushed in and dropped to one knee, his armor clinking as he bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty!"
King Lioness looked down from his seat, his voice low but edged. "Speak."
The officer kept his head down, breath quick.
"Your Majesty… the envoy of the Halfling Kingdom—the one responsible for the teleportation that displaced Princess Ellyna…"
The King's eyes sharpened. "What about him?"
The officer hesitated only a moment. "Found dead. In his cell."
A murmur passed through the chamber.
King Lioness's jaw tightened. "What of the rest of the envoy?"
