"I'm sure you've all heard the news by now," Lady Z began without preamble.
"Two of our Advisors were attacked three nights ago. Coordinated strikes clearly designed to eliminate them."
Aldric leaned forward. "My lady, we were under the impression that Advisor Helt had perished in the fire at his establishment. The Guards declared it a mystical accident—"
"The Guards were wrong," Rey interrupted, his elderly voice carrying a hardness it hadn't possessed before. "I survived because I detected the trap before it fully activated. But my business, my home, everything I built—destroyed."
Shock rippled through the room.
Several Advisors exchanged glances that Rey catalogued for later analysis.
"This is outrageous!" Vera exclaimed, though Rey detected a note of calculation beneath her outrage. "Attacking Advisors directly? This is a declaration of war!"
"Indeed," Lady Z said coolly. "Which raises interesting questions. Elara, please share what you experienced."
