Life in the palace(3)

Shahab remained silent for a long moment after Alpheo finished, his hand resting on the tablet.

Shahab finally leaned forward, his face a mixture of anger and contemplation. "You speak as if you had no choice, but my son-in-law lies dead, a civil war may also be coming to our doorstep. Your 'necessary' actions have made more chaos than you coule even believe"

Alpheo didn't flinch, keeping his voice calm and even. "It was not my intention to cause harm to your family, my lord. I deeply regret how things unfolded. But we all know what type of man Arkawatt was . If I hadn't acted, I would have been dead, and between him and me , I chose me .''

Shahab exhaled slowly, clearly grappling with the situation. "And what of the lords? The other families that once pledged their loyalty to him?"