The news of Prince Ashen's open defiance against King Aden spread like wildfire across the entire realm. Whispers echoed through the marble corridors of the palace, the bustling markets of the capital, and even the distant villages nestled in the shadow of the Ashen Mountains.
Servants exchanged furtive glances, nobles murmured behind jeweled hands, and common folk gathered around hearth fires to recount the tale with equal parts awe and fear.
The once-unquestionable authority of the king had been challenged not by an enemy army or a foreign power, but by his own son. The realm held its breath, sensing that the foundations of power were trembling.
In the grand ballroom of the royal palace, King Aden sat upon his throne, his frail form swallowed by the heavy velvet robes of office.
Though age and illness had weakened his body, his spirit burned with undiminished fury.
