The silence in the room had barely settled when it shattered again.
The door burst open with such force that it struck the wall behind it, the sound echoing sharply through the chamber like a warning bell that had come far too late.
A guard stumbled in, breathless, his armor slightly disheveled, his expression strained with urgency and fear that he did not even attempt to hide.
"My king!"
Kaelvryn turned instantly, whatever quiet moment he had allowed himself vanishing without a trace as his posture straightened, his expression hardening into something far more dangerous, far more composed.
"What is it?" he demanded, his voice sharp, already bracing for what was coming.
The guard swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Lord Aldridge has begun his move," he said, his words rushing out now, one after the other, "he's rallied his supporters half the court has sided with him and the Ashenclaw pack… their leader...Rhydian has openly joined him."
